Dirty rockers get sensitive
A few months back MVM saw Londoners Dirty Thrills for the first time. Now, granted we were excited because Crobot were headlining, but this is what we said: “Self proclaimed “dirty blues” rock from London, Dirty Thrills live up to that epithet with a set that’s hip-shaking and groovy in equal measure. Kinda like the Black Crowes with a soul-filled heart, they set about enjoying their first visit to Birmingham. The four piece, who have singer Louis James slinking his way through their set and killer songs like the positively filthy sounding “No Resolve” in their locker, boast much to enjoy. And with the last song “Sigh” marrying a massive slab of guitar and all their 1960s sensibilities, there’s much excitement in the grime.”
The reason for reproducing that here is not about an orgy of self-congratulation (well, it might be a little bit) but to emphasise the point.
Because fast forward to the autumn and to this, an acoustic EP. Born out of what was apparently a triumphant set at Ramblin’ Man Fair in the summer, “Devils Wine” proves all of the words above and so much more.
Like a hybrid of a (better) Rival Sons and “Southern Harmony…..” era Black Crowes, they allow themselves room to breathe across what is a wonderful collection.
“Lonely Soul” – apparently a very personal song to frontman Louis James – is a gentle, bluesy affair, picked out by a perfect guitar lick, “Feeling” gets harmonica intro bonus points, and is knowingly funky. If Chris Robinson and the boys had made this in the early 1990s it would have sold by the bucketload as James extends himself.
It’s the raw emotion here that surprises, “Is This Home” boasts a countryfied flavour, but one which is more a bleak Johnny Cash song than “Stand By Your Man”. “No Resolve” is dark and for the truly lost and alone, with the collection completed by the jazzy jam of “Rabbit Hole”, which will only truly make sense when its you and the dark at 3am.
Whether this is something that Dirty Thrills do again, we can only hope. Because if the acoustic EP gets a bad rap, from time to time it produces a gem (think “Graveyard Of Empty Bottles” by Dog’s D’Amour from way back when”. “Devils Wine” is another.
Rating 8/10
