Canadian alt-rock powerhouse Doll is now streaming “Better Days, Different Times”, their first new collection of material since 2011’s “The Ragdoll Diaries”. The EP represents not just a return to form but a significant evolution for the Ottawa-based band that has expanded their sonic palette while maintaining their core identity. They share their excitement:
“With this album, we wanted to pull listeners in closer to what’s top of mind to us, our values, our experiences. It’s not just something to hear; it’s something to sit and listen to. It’s less about the volume this time, more about the weight behind the lyrics.”
Every track on this record was handpicked because it struck something deep in Doll. Some songs come in softer, quieter moments. But don’t let that fool you, the weight is still there. The message is still dark, still heavy.
The EP maintains the band’s commitment to authentic expression and therapeutic songwriting. Each track emerges from genuine experience and emotion, continuing the band’s tradition of using music as both personal processing and connection with listeners who share similar struggles.
“Better Days, Different Times” marks not just Doll’s return from the dead, but their emergence as a more complete artistic entity. The EP proves that time away has served to deepen rather than diminish their creative impact, offering both longtime fans and new listeners a compelling entry point into the band’s evolved sound. They are recommended for fans of Nobro, SoftCult, Amyl and the Sniffers, and The Pretty Reckless.
Listen to the EP’s full stream premiere on GhostCultMagazine HERE.
EP-pre-order (out July 18th) – https://doll.bandcamp.com/
Music video – Doll‘s cover of Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” at https://youtu.be/cynliYX-Djk
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Track Listing:
1. Bleeding – 4:32
2. Shark Bait – 3:07
3. Smoke on the Water – 4:26
4. Scene Dream – 4:28
5. Ends Like This – 3:24
6. Goodbye – 3:27
Album Length: 23:29
Album Credits:
All songs performed by: Doll
All songs written by: Doll
Produced by: Josh Hart, Jason Jaknunas
Mixed by: Josh Hart
Mastered by: Josh Hart
Album Artwork by: Mark Kidd
Album Lineup
Guitar: Pete Kasper
Guitar, Vocals, Bass: Christina
Drums: Chris Zimmerman – Smoke on the Water,
Josh Hart – All the Rest
Cello: Raphael Weinroth-Browne
Keys: Phil Campbell
Extra Guitars : Athanasios Maravelis
More info: https://www.facebook.com/
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“#1 Doll – Zach’s Picks of the Week – July 7 – 12, 2025 – Canadian Beats
“Doll sharpens their grit with new muscle and melody. Their return after more than a decade is not a nostalgia trip but a rebirth. The Ottawa band’s forthcoming EP Better Days, Different Times (July 18th) expands their core formula of raw energy and no-frills honesty by inviting new players and broader sonic choices into the mix. But even with cello flourishes and genre jumps, their identity remains firmly intact.” – Amplifying The Noise
“The new track ‘Shark Bait’ from Doll is a blast! The world has been celebrating the 50th anniversary of “JAWS” and now we have a brand new punk-fueled bite in the pants to go along with all of the bloody hoopla. ‘Shark Bait’ is basically straight ahead hardcore riffage with razor sharp teeth, fun lyrics and a precursor to their new EP, ‘Better Days, Different Times’ set for a July 18th release. Catch it on your Home for the Best New Rock… W-J-O-EEEE” – WJOE – Findlay’s Home for Rock & Roll
“The Rag Doll Diaries” is the story of a road weary/world weary band with so much to say and share. Its the combination on heartache and despair offered with a hand meant for holding. In other words here is real music for the real world.” – Heavy Metal Time Machine (2013 – The Ragdoll Diaries)
“Doll was conceived as a bridge between punk and rock, a bridge that was fulfilled in the early ’90s by bands like Nirvana and the mid-’90s by Foo Fighters… A good punk band doesn’t write about the joys of picking daisies and Doll is no exception.” – The Whig Standard (Kingston, ON) (2013)
“Doll provides a missing link between punk and rock.” – The Intelligencer (Belleville, ON) (2013)
“The four-piece are definitely reminiscent of the grunge era and have provided a concise four-word biography of the band: “Rock N’ Fucking Roll.” – Exclaim! (2011 – The Ragdoll Diaries)
“One of the most striking aspects of Inside The Dollhouse, after Christina’s whiskey-and-hell voice, is a fictional character by the name of Sally created to carry the songs. A concept completely unexpected given the band’s twentysomething youth, immediately reminiscent of Alice Cooper’s infamous character Steven, introduced on Welcome To My Nightmare in 1975.” – Bravewords (2010 – Inside the Dollhouse)
“The debut from Ottawa’s Doll caught me instantly like a fish on a hook. This is serious music. Dark, intense and magnetic, this is the kind of gritty ’90s grunge that doesn’t fuck around. Fronted by the vocally vicious Christina Kasper, Doll recall an angry and confused era of music devoid of pop but not catchiness. Kasper howls in the vein of Courtney Love and Brodi Dalle, and while the lyrics are simple and not exactly fresh, they are impacting. Songs like “Perfect” deal with trying to live up to society’s standards, while “Sally Lost Her Shoelaces” and “Daddy’s Little Girl” deal with hurt, confusion and heroin against a backdrop of chunky guitars, assaulting drums and badass attitude. Julie-Anne Madore’s backing vocals add a whispered, haunting feel to this record. If the dirty rock’n’roll alone doesn’t reel you in, nothing will.” – Exclaim (2009 – Inside the Dollhouse)
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