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<\/a>Punk\/Pop are two dirty words that shouldn\u2019t be used in the same sentence these days, right? Overly used by reviewers, (hell, I\u2019ll be the first to hold my hands up!) it\u2019s an easy double-barrelled description to pigeonhole a band. But Ontario based boys The Dirty Nil are not a punk band and they most certainly are not a pop band. The three-piece, comprising singer\/guitarist Luke Bentham, bassist Ross Miller, and drummer Kyle Fisher will be the first to tell you their band is a straight ahead rock \u2018n\u2019 roll outfit.<\/p>\nTheir sophomore long player \u2018Master Volume\u2019 contains ten short, sharp shocks of power pop laced rock \u2018n\u2019 roll fury, with the songwriting suss of Westerberg and Cuomo and a raw visceral delivery akin to Nirvana on \u2018In Utero\u2019 or The Manics on \u2019The Holy Bible\u2019. Bold comparisons to live up to yes, but check out the similarities.<\/p>\n
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There\u2019s a nihilistic, fuck you attitude within the grooves of \u2018Master Volume\u2019. Just several songs in you get the feeling that Luke\u2019s manic, almost schizophrenic vocal and guitar delivery could well turn from tongue in cheek to window licker at any given moment. What could tip him over the edge?<\/p>\n
Largely written on the road, the lyrics explore themes of death, loss, and boredom, yet sound-wise it\u2019s a remarkably upbeat album. The opening one-two of \u2018That\u2019s What Heaven Feels Like\u2019 and \u2018Bathed In Light\u2019 certainly explore those themes to the full. The former a mid-paced rocker that rides on a sleazy riff and a Lit melody, the latter channels The Replacements with bouncing bass and pop sensibilities aplenty.<\/p>\n
The Dirty Nil deal in irresistible, radio-friendly hooks and have crafted an album chock-a-block with the fuckers! Whether it\u2019s raw, in your face punk energy of \u2018Please, Please Me\u2019 with its live feel and glorious ramshackle live climax, the punk\/pop (there, I said it!) goodness of \u2018Smoking is Magic\u2019, the glorious Mega City Four feel of \u2018Pain Of Infinity\u2019 or just getting lost in a stoner wasteland on \u2018Always High\u2019, there is not a duff tune in sight.<\/p>\n
Highlights? \u2018Super 8\u2019 deals with the tedium of motel life and has one of the finest hooks you\u2019ll hear all year, you\u2019ll think you\u2019ve heard it before somewhere, it\u2019s that good. Luke takes things down if only momentarily in \u2018Auf Wiedersehen\u2019, \u00a0a break-up song for two fuck-ups that builds Westerberg style, to an epic, bile-spitting chorus.<\/p>\n
While the album paints a picture of self-destruction and living on the edge, there is also introspection and a warm-heartedness to several songs. How can you not feel the sentiment in \u2018I Don\u2019t Want That Phone Call\u2019, a song that names no names but is a shout out to a friend\u2019s addictions.<\/p>\n
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A stadium-sized production job courtesy of John Goodmanson (Bikini Kill\/Death Cab For Cutie) manages to capture the sound and feel of a band writing songs during soundchecks and practicing harmonies between gigs in the back of a van or a cheap motel.<\/p>\n
Yes, there\u2019s something special about \u2018Master Volume\u2019. Maybe it\u2019s the familiarity, they certainly remind me of Mega City Four, The Replacements and The Senseless Things amongst others, or maybe it\u2019s the lyrics that just seem to hit home. Whatever it is, it makes me wanna turn the volume of life up a notch, hit the gas and ride towards oblivion on a high.<\/p>\n