David Migden & The Dirty Words are ‘Killing It’ with their new album

When a band are outstanding on the stage, their studio material can sometimes lack the energy of the performance and get lost in translation. Especially when “their set encompassed a truly startling range, taking in americana, country, funk, jazz, blues, soul, mariachi, samba and rock stylings”. Tying down all these genres into a coherent collection of 11 songs is never going to be easy. Fortunately, we needn’t have worried.

Naturally, the billowing live sound is here replaced with tight studio production, highlighting every stab, offbeat and syncopation over the course of the 45 minute running time. The album opens with a number of tracks which call to mind ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ era Red Hot Chili Peppers – rhythm guitar, funk bass, jazz chords and gruff vocal all coming together on ‘Killing It’ and ‘Blues’ to set the tone for the rest of the album. The attention to detail is impressive, not a single piece of the puzzle out of place.

Further highlights include ‘Shel’ (available to download free on the bands Facebook page) which moves the album in a more acoustic direction and includes lovely flowing keys and drum parts, while ‘Rev Jack Crow’ leans heavily on grimy jazz chords and a half-time tempo that drags out every inch of atmosphere from an excellent track. Towards the end of the album, the mood shifts in a more country/gospel direction for ‘Desert Inside’, while album closer ‘The Line’ is a beautifully mellow ending to everything that has gone before.

Conclusion? Whether live or in the studio, David Migden & The Dirty Words are a band that ooze class.

Review by Nigel Roberts of Labeled Independent