Dirti Speshuls – Come Again
Dirti Speshuls – Come Again – Album Review
It’s always a good sign when I start out listening to an album feeling like I’ve heard the first song before when that’s actually the case. As “Won’t See Me” started up the new Dirti Speshuls record Come Again, I was more than convinced I’d heard it already…but then I was curious as to how that could be considering the last time I’d reviewed the band was nearly a decade ago, back in the summer of 2014 when I was checking out their debut album Long Time Coming. If they thought that first record was a Long Time Coming…I tell ya…if I had my DeLorean fired-up to 88mph, I’d head over to Alberta and at least let them know the follow-up album can take even longer. As it turns out though, I wasn’t crazy – the band was nice enough to give me a sneak peek into the lineup of Come Again a couple years back. It took me a minute or two to jog my memory as to how in the heck I could have heard an unreleased album’s worth of tunes, but that was indeed the case. So they’ve been working on this particular record for at least a couple of years now…and while I’m not nearly as sure about what held back its release until now, or what changes they would have made to the songs in between now and then, I can confirm that what’s way more important is that I remembered what I was listening to. Not because it makes me feel a lot less old, but because that’s a giant indication that Dirti Speshuls had memorable material overall.
With a nice flashy intro on into “Won’t See Me,” these Canadian heroes sound excited and inspired to be back in action y’all…BIG drums, meaty guitars, and eventually the bold melodic vocals from the band’s frontman Todd Carter come into play, singing his way through the nostalgia of his own memories of yesterday. All-in-all, it’s a freakin’ great start…one that NEARLY warrants how freakin’ long they’ve been away! It gets about as close as you can get I’d reckon…I think even the band’s most dedicated fans will be both surprised and delighted to hear that they’re back after some nine-plus years away, so don’t get me wrong, you get that hit of something you love mixed with the glee of getting more of something you thought you might never get at all, know what I mean? Heck, I’m sure the Dirti Speshuls even know what I mean – it’s gotta feel great to get a new record out after so very long. So yeah man…to hear them burst outta the gate like a force to be reckoned with on “Won’t See Me” was more than awesome – I’m sure absence makes the heart grow fonder & all that, but they really sound into it from the way they collectively attack the Alt-Pop melody of this opening track. The hooks are in place from the music to the microphone, the instrumentation and vocals are spot-on…”Won’t See Me” sounds like the fiery comeback you wanna hear after all this time has passed – otherwise, why would you wanna do it at all?
Shifting into the bass-driven start of “Heist” to follow, I had to check through my past notes and archives to confirm that, yes, this is the exact lineup of nine tunes I was busy jamming through my speakers two years ago. I’m sure they’ve shined them up a bit since then with production or whatnot…at least kinda – I remember ideas more than I remember the technical stuff. I like “Heist” though – this sounds like the kind of cut that would definitely get a crowd going, and hopefully Dirti Speshuls get a chance to take this record out there on the road, because it certainly seems like it’s built for it. Here’s where I remind them that Vancouver, BC, ain’t all that far away from Alberta…just sayin.’ Anyhow! Listen to that opening guitar line chime in to layer over the top of the rhythm section will ya? Gold! Then when the distortion kicks in, the energy comes up, the drums start THUNDERIN’ from the throne…the backing vocals pipe up – “Heist” switches its gears perfectly and becomes a boldly gripping tune. All that being said, I think that my favorite part of this track is actually in the breakdown around the 2:20 mark and the instrumentation that comes in…it’s such a stellar moment in this second cut. The dynamics are perfection in “Heist” – they built it up, break it down, bring it back…all that good stuff and more…it’s a track that demands the pit at the front of the stage gets formed quickly, so that some proper moshin’ can occur, you follow me?
All these good things being said, and I’m 99% sure that “SunGirl” is my favorite track outta the first three. “Found by the side of the road discarded” is such a fantastic opening line in a song – and while there’s no doubt about the uniqueness and allure of a great lyrical line, it’s the set up you hear in the music that allows it to make the melodic impact that it does. As in, LISTEN to the way that “SunGirl” opens up will ya? The brightness of the guitars starts shining right away…the bass is absolutely stellar, the beat is punchy…they generate interest immediately, and when they flip the switch around the forty five second mark, you couldn’t ask for a more noticeable moment. The hooks land, the vocals are solid, and the punch into the second verse around the ninety second-mark is one of the best parts in the song! It’s one of those tunes that’s genuinely a highlight for everyone involved…I mean…listen to the breakdown around the 2:20 mark again will ya? Brilliant! The drums are freakishly special in this track – it’s a case of not only will ya love how they’re being played, but you’ll love what’s chosen to BE played, you feel me? Bass-lines are sonic perfection…the whole song is bulletproof. Word on the street is that “SunGirl” will be the official lead single and the gateway into this record…solid choice by Dirti Speshuls.
Of course, you say something like that, and then they go and try to raise the stakes immediately as they crash their way through the opening of “Stand For Something” and smooth it out to an irresistible vibe. Look…I’ll be real with ya…if we’re talkin’ about verses and instrumentation, I feel like “Stand For Something” can generally compete with the best of the best on this record for sure. As for the main hooks in the chorus…don’t get me wrong, they fit, and in particular, I love the guitars in that moment – but…it’s also a bit more on the ordinary side of songwriting than perhaps we’ve experience throughout this record so far. In keeping with their previous standards though, the breakdown/solos are brilliant, and it makes the bring-back even larger as a result. I think the best advice I’ve got for Dirti Speshuls in terms of the chorus of “Stand For Something” is to follow the music. While the energy in the instrumentation roars to the next level, the vocals seem to cling on to control…and it seems like the kind of spot where you’d wanna hear Carter letting loose a bit to go along with the music I suppose. Could just be the way I’m hearing it…there’s no argument against him doing a good job in singin’ it, but he’s almost a bit too on the clean side for what you’d expect in a moment like the chorus from a band called Dirti Speshuls, you dig? The verses have him sounding at his undeniable best with the way the music surrounds him…and the backing vocals do assist greatly in getting things closer to the edginess we’re looking for in the main hooks too…”Stand For Something” is still absolutely worth a listen, even if the balance of strengths is a bit more widespread here. Formula-wise, they’re almost diving into the STP bag here with the way the music hits so hard and the vocals interact with it in response to the space – there are some really positive aspects of “Stand For Something” even if it seems like there is still room for it to evolve. There ain’t nothing stopping them from taking it up a notch playing it live if they wanna.
“Let Down” is also gonna make for a good candidate to be the single representing Come Again – it’s like, part Ramones, part Limblifter, part American Hi-Fi’s “Flavor Of The Week” – and yet, still all Dirti Speshuls at the same time somehow. They play this track like their freakin’ lives depend on it, and I’m absolutely here for it y’all. To me, the pure radiant energy you’ll find in a track like “Let Down” and the powerful melody you’ll find in the main hooks and harmonies makes for one of the most irresistible moments in the entire record, and I think you’d practically have to be made of stone to not enjoy it. Sure there’s an argument to be made that you can hear more apparent influences in pieces and parts of a song like “Let Down” – but I also think they’re occurring naturally and seem implied more than forced, you know what I mean? We’re all a sum of our influences and what we like…you get more of a glimpse into what Dirti Speshuls have learned along the history of their own listening in a track like “Let Down” – but with execution and addictive hooks as monumental as what you’ll find in this song, who’s gonna complain about that? Not this guy, that I can tell ya! In my opinion, “Let Down” is an audible triumph, where comparisons come in naturally as they tend to, without it being too much like any one thing – this is Dirti Speshuls at their energetic & melodic best, and overall, it’s a completely EXCITING cut to listen to.
Any track would have had a tough time following “Let Down” no matter how good it was. Dirti Speshuls probably played this moment the most correctly by putting a deep cut into this spot of the lineup with “Fall Down.” I’m not suggesting that it’s ignorable, because the band has continuously kept the quality of their execution UP and given you plenty of reasons to listen from performance to production. Having said that, “Fall Down” is gonna have to fist fight you for your attention on those initial spins through Come Again…and even in that instance, it’s hard to know if it’ll get the recognition that it probably should. I do like it, don’t get me wrong…but for example, it we’re talkin’ about these two directionally-inclined cuts appearing back-to-back on their own, “Let Down” would be my favorite of the two tracks without a doubt, and with “Fall Down” coming in at a very distant second place. I’m no more impervious to great hooks and energy than you fine people are dear readers, dear friends – “Fall Down” has a moodier sound and isn’t searching for that same kind of incredible spark that “Let Down” had right beforehand in order to compete, which would have been extremely tough to do anyhow. Instead, our Canadian heroes decide to opt for more of a mid-record reset with “Fall Down,” and smooth things out a little bit instead with a more even energy in this track. Every album has an ebb & flow to it…”Fall Down” dials things back a bit in terms of its allure, but make no mistake, they’re still crushin’ it in many ways too – the rhythm section for example, is giving you highlight after highlight in the way they play this cut.
The punch into “Tell The World” is solid stuff…the opening guitar line is a hook on its own too…and I feel like I appreciate the way the band plays this song together, even if this particular track wouldn’t be up there with my favorites on the record overall. “Tell The World” is played with real conviction and precision when it comes right down to it, and I dig that. It appears more laidback and relaxed, but you can hear how every move they make is realized with passion and purpose…ultimately that counts for a lot in my world. Writing-wise, I’m a bit more at odds with “Tell The World” and whether or not it fully reaches the same remarkable standards they’ve set along the way so far, but that could always just be me and my opinion. Like I continually point out on these pages of ours, as long as you’re putting everything you’ve got into everything you do, you’re setting yourself up for a win somewhere out there. “Tell The World” might not be my own favorite of the bunch, but it could still be yours without a doubt, and that’s completely because Dirti Speshuls never drop the ball when it comes to how they execute as professionals with the material they have in front of them. They’ve committed to these songs and that echoes throughout the lineup whether it’s in obvious singles like “SunGirl” or “Let Down,” straight through to tracks that’ll likely battle a bit more for your attention like “Fall Down” or “Tell The World.”
With only two songs on the record that push past the three minute mark, they’ve got their longest tracks reserved for the finale of Come Again with “Company For Misery” topping five minutes and “All I Can Do” north of four. “Company For Misery” would be up there with some of the best on this record I’d say…I felt like this was the kind of song that bridges the gap between the most obvious singles and the deep cuts you’d find on this record, and straddles that space successfully. Like, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that what you’ll hear on “Company For Misery” would necessarily be the most universal vibes you’ll hear this year, but it’s highly respectable songwriting, sound with identity to it, and it contains the professional execution you’ve come to love throughout this whole record. Overall, I’d tell ya that the level of interest and engagement they create with “Company For Misery” is impeccable…it’s like one of those songs that works like a good mystery, where you want to see where it’ll end up from how it began, know what I mean? I love the way it starts out…Dirti Speshuls have added in some absolutely excellent bass-lines into this record that have been extremely enticing to listen to, and I’d certainly argue that the diverse versatility of a track like “Company For Misery” gives this whole song a chance of making an impact on anyone listening to it. They use the extra time and space really wisely, and it results in a track with tons of meat on the bone. It might not be the kind of track that becomes a single, but it’s not actually out of the running either…from the breakdown to the main hooks, there is a whole lot of stuff happenin’ in “Company For Misery” that should have no problem keeping you entertained. Great guitar tones in this song…heavy handed drums that pound hard on them skins…insatiable bass-lines that rock…and an instrumental break before their final run through the chorus that can’t be beat – it’s like…supremely dramatic and intense, like something you’d have found on OK Computer years ago, which truly contrasts brilliantly with the more Alt-Pop design of the main hooks you’ll find in this track.
As you float into the dreamy collage of sound at the end of Come Again, “All I Can Do” finishes off this long anticipated new record nicely, sending ya back into the daylight like you’ve just come out of a theatre for the past hour as you rub your eyes and refocus on whatever’s next. To their credit, whatever’s next is quite likely another spin through this album…it’s magnificent to listen to. It’s hard to justify nearly a decade away…but they’ve given any dissenters a whole lot of food for thought when it comes to that by presenting an album that’s pretty damn remarkable from start to finish. Even the more low-key tracks like “Tell The World” or “Fall Down” still have plenty to offer your ears, and I’d say that an album like Come Again is complete proof that Dirti Speshuls still have a ton in the tank for their future to follow. “All I Can Do” is one of those magical cuts that speaks volumes on behalf of their gift for creating melody that hits ya straight in the heartstrings, yet fully maintains their Indie street-cred. Like, if you found this on the Empire Records soundtrack years ago you wouldn’t have batted an eye, and much like a ton of the material that was on it, the sound hasn’t aged a day and is still as fresh as ever, because it was a genuine blend of art, inspired Alt-Pop, and music that means something. I love this ending to Come Again, and once “All I Can Do” shifts into its most intense hooks and melodic parts, I felt like Dirti Speshuls pushed this from being another really good song into being an undeniably great one. I dig the floating vibe and bendy sounds of the opening verses…but yeah…it’s that kick into the transition that occurs just past the two minute mark that sends this track straight into greatness and gives it the opportunity to become the finale this record deserved. It’s definitely a noteworthy ending to what’s been a stellar album for Dirti Speshuls…let’s keep our collective fingers crossed they don’t keep us waiting another decade for that next one to follow, Come Again will make ya want a whole lot more from this band, and hopefully, the effect on everyone involved in making it has them feeling the same.
Keep an eye out…Come Again is set to be released…soon? The first single “SunGirl” (great choice!) is scheduled to drop online this October 20th – find Dirti Speshuls at Bandcamp here: https://dirtispeshuls.bandcamp.com
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