DIRT ROAD BAND - RIGHTEOUS - ALBUM REVIEW

DIRT ROAD BAND - RIGHTEOUS - ALBUM REVIEW.

BY Pete Clemons

YOU CAN VIEW, LISTEN AND PURCHASE THE DIRT ROAD BAND'S LATEST ALBUM HERE ON BANDCAMP https://dirtroadband.bandcamp.com/album/righteous

I can't imagine that when Steve Walwyn, Ted Duggan and Horace Panter were young, they would be thinking that 'When I am nudging my eighth decade, I’d still like to be playing fast high energy music with that slightly aggressive attitude'. Yet that is exactly what they are doing right now surly?

Here are three men who, at their stage of life - and having had the careers they have had, would be forgiven for taking things a little bit easier.

But no, in the autumn of life they appear to be have gotten a welcome renaissance. And this rejuvenation, cohesion and camaraderie is there for all to hear. The Dirt Road Band's debut album 'Righteous' is absolute proof of that.

Righteous is a highly polished, exciting and truly excellent listen. This trio are certainly not going quietly. There are no huge anthems but at the same time this album is the complete antithesis of mediocrity and crushing tedium.

Apart from the atmosphere created by Righteous the album also creates a power and energy. At times you can't get the volume high enough. Years ago I guess this album would possibly have qualified for the heavy music label.

The tunes included are all original and as memorable for their stunning instrumental breaks. But there is a marriage of several contrasting styles - the one sharp-edged and shrill, the other calm and reflective - it is a treat not to be missed.

Perhaps the most striking departure on the album is the track called 'Been So Long' which features a lavish organ arrangement, and captures exactly the right shade of doomy foreboding, which is characteristic of the album.

Another key to the success of Righteous is that despite the musicians maturity and familiarity they seem to have approached the music with a radical freshness.

The Dirt Road Band are essentially happy war horses, at their absolute best in the short, sharp shock format of 'Cutting Room Floor' or the excellent 'Worry No More'. Its comforting to know that their are always some people you can rely on for a dirty night in.

All that said, and this is not a criticism - just an observation, I am getting a different kind of excitement to that of a Dirt Road Band live gig. As good as Righteous is, it does not - for me, capture the rawness of the Dirt Road Band live. This is an altogether different experience. To me the Dirt Road Band have now developed two facets. The live version of the band and the studio version. A live album is without doubt an idea to ponder. I really think there is room for one

However critics, even amateurs, are rarely the people to pay attention to and I urge anyone who has not heard this album to give it a listen. A powerful and worthwhile release.