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Monday, November 11, 2013

New Suburban Dirts Music - Spoiler... It's really good!


English folk/blues/rock/country band Suburban Dirts released one of my favorite albums of 2012 (ranked #10 here, but probably higher if I remade the list now). Since then, they've added Ryan Davies (of previously blogged about Marching Donald) and apparently been hard at work making even more music. In a week (on November 18) they'll show everybody that the first album wasn't just a fluke when they release their follow-up "a tiny little island in the big bad sea."

I had the pleasure of getting to hear the new album early, and after about a dozen listens, I think I may actually prefer it to their debut. The album kicks off with a foot-stomper of a song in "Fire On The Campsite" that lets you know you're not going to be able to sit still while listening to this album. The second track, "Hose Ban Blues," keeps the energy up and adds in some excellent harmonica by Judd Lander, the guy who played harmonica on Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon." "Hose Ban Blues" also features some excellent lyric work with lines like "Am I killing time or is time killing me?" and "Even Schrodinger's cat eventually died, but don't quote me on that, he could still be alive." I'm not sure if I glossed over the lyrics while listening to the first album because it was so catchy, but I really noticed them quite a few times here.

The third track, "Everybody's Friend," is one of two that has been made available for listening before the album's release. Check it out here to get your own taste of the album:



"Punchball Blues" is a Dylan-esque rock & roll romp akin to "Lost In Transcription" from the band's debut album. It also marks the end of what the band describes as a shift from the playful confidence of the first five tracks to the uncertainty and fragility displayed throughout the last six tracks.

This shift in tone is on display in the second song the band has made available, "Any Other Morning," which also happens to be one of my favorite songs of the year. The emotional weight of lead-singer John Wheatley crooning "The last thing that I want to hear you say is 'I'd go with you on any other morning, but I just can't do today'" hits me every time I hear it. You can stream or buy the song here:



The penultimate track, "Queen O'Pity" features more of Judd Lander's fantastic harmonica work and is another second half highlight. Album closer "All Of This" slows things down again and offers time for reflection as John Wheatley sings "I know I'm gonna miss all of this someday" in a nice finish to the album.

"a tiny little island in the big bad sea" can be pre-ordered from Amazon or iTunes. If you missed the band's first album make sure to go check it out on Bandcamp. If you want to support an up and coming band that is making some awfully impressive music, check out their various pages below and/or buy an album (or go to a show if you're lucky enough to live nearby). Regardless, enjoy!

Want to check out Suburban Dirts? Of course you do...

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