New York City’s Annie Dressner has released a new video for her single, Dumb Boy, which has been featured on BBC 6 Music thanks to Riley & Coe. Dumb Boy is a song for all those who have been mistreated in a relationship, messed around with a lack of consideration for our feelings. It explores the feeling of holding onto what you liked about someone, even though they are letting you down and being left with the bittersweet sense of what could have been. In the end, those feelings of hurt can descend into petty insults when we feel aggrieved, hence the song title. That confusion and the conflicting emotions as the relationship unravels are reflected in Dressner’s direct words: “You’re just a dumb boy in a band // I like the way that you lean when you stand // And you’re just a dumb boy in a band // and I hate that you made me cry.”
Dressner’s thoughts spill out in a lyrical flow, riding on typically catchy melodic currents and delivered in her engaging conversational style. Produced by UK Americana legend Peter Bruntnell, who also provides guitar, Dumb Boy is bright and full of energy. Bruntnell delivers a solo halfway through that flies over Paul Goodwin’s sustained keys and the vibrant rhythms of Peter Noone’s bass and Mick Clewes’ drums.
The accompanying video was shot by David Martin and features Dressner in a range of domestic locations; in the kitchen, on the stairs, relaxing on the sofa, where she is absorbing the advice from various self-help books with the hope of moving on, reinforcing the song’s theme of conflicting feelings when a relationship comes to an end. It’s a situation many of us will relate to. There’s a nostalgia to the open-hearted idea of having a crush and giving more of yourself than you receive. Dressner promotes self-love and self-worth before giving all of your feelings to some, “…dumb boy in a band.”
Dumb Boy is the first single from Dressner’s next album. While we await more news on the album title and release date, we know Peter Bruntnell has taken on production duties, and we can expect more of Dressner’s witty, direct lyrics and tuneful, lilting vocals. In the meantime, check this out.
