Currently without a UK distribution and hailing from Vermont, US band DIRTMINERS have released a 7 track mini album called ‘Meat and Electricity’ prior to a full album in 2005.
Specialising in an accessible form of American working man rock/folk/blues, DIRTMINERS’ music benefits greatly from an earthy production sound and some smart musicianship, not least courtesy of Wayne Reiss (a renowned jazz pianist in his own right). Their repertoire is refreshingly varied within their genre of choice, managing to coax more mainstream pop-oriented noises but still keeping things potent and interesting by varying the arrangements.
Opening track ‘The Day I Met You’ recalls The Faces and ‘Exile’ era Stones with a great lecherous Jagger-like vocal display by singer and main songwriter Raph Worrick, whereas the barfly blues of ‘You Just Don’t Care’ captures the soulful and gospel folk of Van Morrison with just a suggestion of Ryan Adams. The bullish thrust of ‘Addison County Clay’ has me in mind of Warren Zevon.
The atmospheric ‘Mississipi’ briefly plunges the album into much darker and murkier waters with its distorted guitar and the subtle throbbing of its understated bass beat. It’s followed up by the acoustic based number ‘Death of A Barn Cat’ that keeps the Zevon influence alive but offers variation with the slide guitar, bongo percussion and jaunty organ. ‘Doctor Bag’ starts as it it’s about to break into ‘Spirit In The Sky’ but is in fact akin to Neil Young in strident electric mode.
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The sombre closer ‘Clever Hans’ again recalls Van Morrison and is my favourite of a very good selection.
DIRTMINERS do enough to create an identity of their own by playing these songs as if they’re as indispensable and comfortable as an old pair of boots that can never be thrown out. Versatility seems to be the watchword but it doesn’t hurt that Worrick can’t disguise a good tune or a good lyric, whether he immerses his songs in sparse instrumentation or brings them to life with the band in full flow.
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