You would not say that there is much of 2020 one should bring into the new year, but few exceptions exist, among them is the year-end single by L.A.’s The Dumes titled “Ok.” The new track is power rock at its best: reverb-soaked guitar solos, a trashing drum beat, and distorted bass-powered breakdowns led somewhere heavenly by the confident-elegant vocal delivery of front-woman Elodie Tomlinson. The title expresses something simple, but upon examination, and in the context of the year behind and the work ahead, lyrics like “Can you try to find your hand in mine/And you’ll be ok when you find a match in the dark” there is a depth so relatable. As we move forward, The Dumes invite us to rock on, with a head held high, shaking to a quaking beat. – René Cobar, photo by Emma Cole