Albums by this artist

The Dirtmitts (2001)

The Dirtmitts

The Dirtmitts

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» TROY CARPENTER | CO-DIRECTOR

The Dirtmitts The Dirtmitts Sonic Unyon, 2001 RiYL: Letters To Cleo, Juliana Hatfield, Velocity Girl

You probably think you know this band after reading the RIYLs above. You probably don't. Sometimes a pretty female voice, alternative rock hooks and catchy rhythms tend to make people push groups into categories (so does filling out a couple "read if you like" entries per review). But admit it, you know the difference between Belly and Veruca Salt. And this band is not one of the faceless imitators in this genre. Erm, not to say that any of the above are. The point is: the Dirtmitts are quite original.

Their self-titled debut is certainly catchy, and overflowing with warm, inviting tunes. But it also has that welcome intangible attribute of being just a little bit coy with the ear. The album's tunes take more than just a cursory listen before their full flower is revealed, and the work one must put in eventually develops a relationship with the album slightly more complex than your average "alternative, chick-singer" group might elicit.

That said, opening track "In The Meantime" is one of the most addictive tunes I've heard all year. The warm, open guitar hook is only topped by the dynamic, singalong bridge and the memorable chorus, in which vocalist/guitarist Natasha Thrisk croons "I don't know if you're the right thing / but in the meantime, but in the meantime..." trailing off on the comfy implication.

There are more reluctant pieces of music here, such as the seductive "Fix And Destroy," on which a singular, gentle guitar line becomes buoyed by darker, somewhat distorted rhythm-section help. The song eventually winds through multiple sections - including another razor-sharp unaccompanied guitar hook - before building up to a memorable chorus of the song's title that sees the tune out via an inspired denouement.

Other notables include early rockers "These Hands," "Discotek," and the cool, sparse "Vertical Lines." The record is longer than expected, but ride it out to the end, lest you miss inventive fare like "Talking In My Sleep" and the instrumental "Close Encounters."

The Dirtmitts have created a fun debut that's not weighed down by either pretension or plaigarism, two spectres which have haunted so-called "alternative" rock -- or whatever that 'modern' pop that so dominated radio airwaves in the '90s should be called -- for years. RIYLs notwithstanding.

TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.