The Dirtmitts
Get On
Sonic Unyon
Damn! Sonic Unyuon really have themselves one hell of a record here! Dirtmitts are a Canadian female fronted emo/indie/guitar-driven pop group, with a very somber and dark delivery of relatively sticky sweet songs.
Let me start off with “Catastrophe,” Get On’s third song: completely amazing. This is one of the most bittersweet love songs of break-up that I’ve ever heard. The guitar chord progression itself creates an almost “let down” mood, even during the verse. The guitar players pick with kind of a half propulsive, half upset manner, and other than that, I can’t explain how else they do it! It’s fascinating that the guitars can convey the mood of the song so well.
The vocals on “Catastrophe” are done by the band’s main lead singer, Natasha, and her voice is a weird combination of Nina Gordon (Veruca Salt)’s urgency, Mary Timony (Helium)’s tiredness, and Liz Phair’s bitterness. Natasha’s vocals, coupled with the wonderful back up vocals by bassist Jen, make an angelic, yet sad and lost, chorus that jumps into the back of your mind and burrows in like a tic. I really think that this song alone makes Get On worth buying.
The rest of the record is in a similar vein, but with a bit more upbeat sound. The guitars are overdriven and grainy throughout, the drums are nice and loud and popping, similar to the sound on Weezer’s Pinkerton.
What makes this record stand out from other female fronted emo/indie outfits is some indefinable sense of ownership this band makes the listener feel that they deserve. You could tell me that The Dirtmitts invented this genre of punk rock, and after listening to Get On, I would believe you. It’s that good. This is one of the year’s best albums, and the world is a terrible place if these guys remain as unknown as they are at this moment. 12 out of ten, here!
Sonic Unyon Records: http://www.sonicunyon.com
