Magic Dirt - Girl
Emergency/MGM
By Andrew P Street
Bless you, Magic Dirt. Other bands have spent their post-major-deal years in decline, but after Warners let the band go the ‘Dirt dusted themselves off and continued doing exactly what they've always done: writing bitchin' pop songs.
The opening ‘Get Ready To Die' shows more spirit than a million Trial Kennedys, filled with drum fills and squawking solos. ‘Emerald Green', however, shows exactly what's so special about Magic Dirt: it's the same sort of energetic, chord-driven song that a million local bands pump out in venues Thurs-Sat, except that it's... well, good.
Part of it is that the band always sound so good: uncluttered arrangements and gutsy, unprocessed sounds (which is what happens when acclaimed producer Dean Turner is in your band and you've enlisted Lindsay Gravina to oversee proceedings).
The rhythmic ‘Six Feet Under' and the down-tuned J&MC drone of ‘Always' take it down a notch without losing any of the menace or power, proving that the most standard bass/drums/two guitar line up can still discover new dynamics if they listen hard enough. What are rock stars doing today? Who the fuck cares?