Dirtburg Rare Japanese Bootleg Import EP
The new self-financed release from the Dirtburg collective is a more assured and confident release than debut “Feeling Vanderbilt”. Boasting a better, more professional mix, some good artwork and a tighter set of songs, “Rare Japanese Bootleg Import EP” is a solid, enjoyable and funky adventure in the world of Dirtburg.
Opener “I Can Do This” starts the record off rather sombrely with a sad introspective song about an ex-girlfriend. A short song, it soon launches off into some impressive 80’s guitar noodling. A strange choice to open the CD as Dirtburg are self-professed “bringers of the funk.” Still, the song sounds bigger than the previous EP and sets off a more confident statement of intent. Second and third tracks “No One Can Defeat Me” and “Fine and Debonair” are pumping through their great bass and drum work. The bass in particular on “NOCDM” is rolling and makes it a bouncy club track. When played live, the song is unstoppable. On record, it’s a little bit more muted but still works. “Fine and Debonair” tells a funny story marking the irony of not being fine or even debonair at all. The jazzy approach of the bass and drums work well with the story-telling vocals, the chorus also comes in nicely, taking a good scratched in sample with interplay from the MCs. “Monsoon” also works with a jazzy guitar and a bouncy bassline. Best track on the EP is the Django Reinhardt-influenced “Gypsy Jazz”. Over a gorgeous acoustic riff, not dissimilar to a Django movement with more thrown in 80s guitar noodling, and an oom-pah oom-pah bassline, it exudes bouncy confidence and good vibes all round. An excellent song and has been on my player for a week now.
For all its strengths, the release does carry a few weaknesses. Now that the mix is tougher and the songs are easier to hear, there appears to be too many moments where the songs go down to just bass and drums with a little scratching. This leaves too much space to be filled by either the guitar or more samples. Live, the set-up can work as the vibing by the collective is hard and works to move a crowd. However, between the listener and the stereo, there does exist gaps in the songs which could be filled by more instruments, more samples, more styles of guitar. Also, the vocals have been recorded and mixed down quite dryly. It would serve the sound better to wet the vocals up a bit with occasional delays or reverb, because the voices can sound a little repetitive when placed in the mix dryly all the way throughout the song. Maybe the rappers could be a bit more vocally expressive every now and then. There are too many constants on the CD and much as it is initially pleasing to the ears, for extended listens, it might serve the band well to work on changes and more things happening in the songs. A few trumpet stabs, some wah-wah skanking and perhaps more melody in the rapping could end up going a long way for the future.
However the truth is, this is an improved EP on the previous one and Dirtburg are growing and growing in confidence with each release. The songs are better and tougher. I look forward to the next release!
- Nikesh Shukla
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