Dirtmusic’s principals come from bands largely known for rootsy, Americana-infused music: Chris Eckman from the Walkabouts, Hugo Race who did a stint with the Bad Seeds, and Chris Brokaw from…I’m not sure. But when they joined to make Dirtmusic, their manifesto was to strip down their sounds (the first notion was an acoustic album, but that was apparently – and thankfully – discarded as too typical of rockers stripping down). For their first eponymous album, they created a collection of stirring American roots-influenced tunes. What they did not create is a coherent band statement. As they stand the songs are fine, but they sound like tracks from three separate solo albums with great (and never showy or attention-hogging) instrumental performances – not like a band with a single identity.
- Of the three artists here, I’m most familiar with Chris Eckman. His songs are the ones I gravitated toward. But there is good stuff from everyone. Just not…y’know, band stuff.
- Best tracks: “The Other Side,” “Sun City Casino,” “Ballad of a Dream,” and the gorgeous end track “Morning Dew,” which sounds like a track by a real band.
