In an ideal world, we approach things with an open mind, but often it is difficult to put preconceptions to one side, however hard we try. Take Dirt Mall, for example, the cover of their new album features a rat and a naked woman in silhouette. Where are we to go? What are we to think? I mean, singer Johnny Anguish has a name that belongs in a snotty 70’s punk band. Even the most even minded are bound to think that this whole thing bodes a bit dodgy.
Dirt Mall are a Boston band and 'Pacifuego' is their second album which, they say, “has traded in a bit of their booze fuelled boogie for a more focussed and aggressive sound.” Spirits are lifted briefly by the power pop of opener “Building A Case” and the riff of “Pearl” is reminiscent of Bad Company’s “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love”, these are but fleeting moments and the songs end up just crashing into each other like dodgems, only with a far ropier soundtrack, it’s a bit like treading water in the shallow end – unadventurous.
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There are more clichés here than in a whole series of an ITV sitcom. Alas the track called “I Am The One And Only” is not Chesney, merely cheesy and during “Rats” I really thought the needle was stuck, until I remembered that it was a CD I was listening to. The songs are mercifully short; they just seemed longer at the time. Dirt Mall claim to have “a healthy respect for Superdrag’s song craft and The Dictators snarl”. The Dictators' Handsome Dick Manitoba would no doubt like a word regarding Dirt Mall’s definition of the word ‘respect'.
Dirt Mall online
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