Review: Dirty On Purpose | Hallelujah Sirens

You should be excited about the forthcoming Dirty On Purpose debut full-length Hallelujah Sirens, and here's why: Opener "No Radio" sounds a lot like vintage Flaming Lips, specifically "Kim's Watermelon Gun." Well, OK, there's more to be excited about than that, but that will be the first thing you think after you put the disc on. Dreamy Brooklyn quartet Dirty On Purpose's entire forthcoming record is a solid set of moody, guitar-geared indie rock numbers, many of them beautiful and affecting ("Fake Lakes," "Kill Our City") and some with engaging compositional touches ("Always Looking," "Always Looking 2"). There's even a surprising bit of what we'd guess is a classic Neil Young influence in the gut-twisting (nod to Ted-o, there) ballad "Lake Effect." We're particularly pleased with the rockin' new version of the soaring cut "Light Pollution" [YouTube video here], the demo of which we've had for several months courtesy of one MP3 blog or another.

We'll admit to being a bit frustrated with some restrained production, which occasionally quashes dynamics to highlight other (sometimes tangential) instrumentation. The big guitars on "Marfa Lights," for example, get pushed out to the fringe of the stereo field and down low in the mix to the benefit of the drumming and bass playing. More simply put, there are many places we'd like the songs on Hallelujah Sirens to go to 11, but they don't always make it. Also we'd like to hear the thin vocals on the otherwise stirring "Your Summer Dress" and "Car No Driver" beefed up. That said, we are very big fans of the music on Hallelujah Sirens. After all, you just can't keep good songs down. The record, our newest :: clicky clicky :: Now Sound Fave, hits racks on North Street June 27, but is already for sale at EMusic and the sweatshirt vendor-spawned AmpCamp. Dirty On Purpose hits the road in the wake of the record's release -- dates below.

06/29 -- Mercury Lounge -- New York, NY
07/05 -- First Unitarian Church -- Philadelphia, PA
07/07 -- The Century Lounge -- Providence, RI
07/08 -- Great Scott -- Allston, MA
07/09 -- Bar Nightclub -- New Haven, CT
07/15 -- Siren Music Festival -- New York, NY
07/18 -- Andyman's Treehouse -- Columbus, OH
07/19 -- WOXY.com Lounge Act -- Cincinnati, OH
07/19 -- Southgate House -- Newport, KY
07/20 -- Firehouse -- North Manchester, IN
07/21 -- Beat Kitchen -- Chicago, IL
07/22 -- 7th Street Entry -- Minneapolis, MN
07/23 -- The Aquarium -- Fargo, ND
07/28 -- Bottom of the Hill -- San Francisco, CA
07/31 -- Kilby Court -- Salt Lake City, UT
08/01 -- Hi-Dive -- Denver, CO
08/05 -- San Diego Street Scene Festival -- San Diego, CA

[Pre-order Hallelujah Sirens from Insound here]