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- Released: March 2008
- Rating: 8/10
- Vote and comment on this album:
As mini-supergroups go, this one of the best.
Chris Eckman vocalist and guitarist (The Walkabouts) Hugo Race (formerly BirthdayParty and Bad Seeds) now guitarist with True Spirit and former Come AndCodeine member Chris Brokaw have made an album that contains what it says onthe CD packshot Dirtmusic.
Its not the happiest of CDs to embrace, nevertheless, there is an undisputablecharm to it.
This unique collaboration has brought together three musicians who have a fullgrasp of the barren dust bowls of America and know exactly how to paint the landscapein musical terms, perfectly captured on opening instrumental Erica Moody.
Alt-folkie Micah P. Hinson got me fascinated by his take on his sparse alternativeAmericana, and though this has occasional similar soundscapes, its a bitmore down the line and accessible, which aint too bad a thing. Together theyvecreated a well crafted album with some delicious melodies and harmonies andexquisite instrumentation that sucks you instantly into some far-off distantwilderness, which is quite remarkable, considering it was all laid down andrecorded in Prague, of all places.
After a quick, “Ready, one, two, three,” the lightweight Erica Moody isa great and appropriate start. It sets the scene so to speak, with its steadyand laid-back template that spills over onto The Other Side, with banjo pluckingnicely to what sounds like a tambourine before a sweet (and catchy) chorus kicks in.
Sun City Casino has a slow and menacing pace textured by cool janglyreverbed guitars. Its the first song that you expect some kind of explosivenessor massive crescendo. It doesnt happen and its not a disappointment really,as we are (dont forget) out somewhere remote, in their collective minds. Then comessweeping Face Of Evil, a rootsy acoustic ballad, where the guitar soundsalmost over accentuated thrusting it to the foreground of their picture, furtherenhanced by twanging electric guitar.
Brooding chugger with husky vocals, Still Running is a haunting boogie andthe paceiest song so far, though further in Ballad Of A Dream is acracking soft country shuffle which has some spell-binding wailing solo breaks.Wasted On couldnt get more laid-back if it tried. It plods at snailpace punctuated by thudding drums with rolling organ in the distance, even buildinginto a kind of retarded crescendo. Finally, it drifts into the dusty distancein typical, if not somewh at jagged fashion, with Morning Dew.
When the dirt has settled you just know that Dirtmusic wont sell much in theUK.
It should not be overlooked, just for the pure escapism.
File under: Understated gem, and a real grower.
Weblink:myspace.com/dirtmusicband
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Erica Moody
2. The Other Side
3. Sun City Casino
4. Face Of Evil
5. The Returning
6. Still Running
7. Summer Days
8. Ballad Of A Dream
9. No Sorrow More
10. Panther Hunting
11. Wasted On
12. Morning Dew
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.