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It's Gonna Get Dirty
Dirty Revolution
(Do The Dog Records, 2008)
There’s something roguishly lovable about the way Cardiff, sorry, Skadiff quartet Dirty Revolution goes about rabble-rousing. It’s Gonna Get Dirty is in essence a protest record, but nowhere in sight is the spiteful manner and viciousness that others make a habit of applying. Instead, there’s a quaintness and joviality that makes you want to actually hear what the band has to say.
What the band has to say tends to revolve around social, political and entertainment (yes, entertainment) equality. “I Love Reggae” (a regular on the Radio 1 Punk Show for what seems like forever*) focuses on racism, using music as a microcosm of the world; a Nazi-punk lover is disgusted by a reggae fan. What a guy! The song itself is a real upbeat number, managing to merge leg-flailing ska and rocksteady coolness.
“Police” is a much more reserved affair, melodica infused and guitar driven at a deliberate pace that has more of a punk edge. Concerned with the state of youth-crime and the ‘constant’ terror threat, the song questions: “where are the police?”. It might not be the most original of content but it’s a message worth putting across. “50p”, however, is a bit more original. Basically it’s a jibe at the music industry wrapped up sneakily in a series of schoolyard digs. It’s physically impossible to listen to this song and not smile. Fact. Note to all the ‘comedy’ bands out there (you know who you are), this is a funny song that’s interesting on more than one level; give it a try!
“Dirty Revolution” is a jaunt of an opener, hitting you with big basslines and a big sound. “Failure To Communicate” isn’t quite as heavy but it’s a real ska-soaked number. Upstrokes and melodica ahoy. In Reb Sutton the band has a real distinctive voice that’s quaint, calm and yet bubbling under the surface with spikiness. It’s on this track though that guitarist Stu White takes up vocal duties, throwing another dynamic out there. It’s soulful by way of a bunged-up nose (which probably makes no sense) and it’s a decent direction for the band to hit-up in the future.
Dirty Revolution is one of those bands that haven’t yet slipped through into the limelight of the underground, but deserve to. At the end of October Dirty Revolution head out on the road with The JB Conspiracy and Los Kung Fu Monkeys, a tour that will hopefully raise the band’s profile and spearhead the movement towards a new release which, preferably, will be a full-lengther. In the meantime, enjoy It’s Gonna Get Dirty, an ear-catching gem of a release. It’s gonna get dirty indeed
SkaMutiny rating: 3.5/5
Al
*SkaMutiny is well aware of the fact that this little E.P. has been out for more than 18 months, but whoever said only ‘new’ material can be reviewed? Trust us, this is going to become a theme. And I don’t hear anyone complaining about the ‘Mutiny Classic Ska Series’
