Dirty Americans – Strange Generation
Liquor and Poker Music – 6008-2 – March 22nd, 2005
By Jason Jordan
I’m thinking the moniker “Slickly-Produced Americans” would’ve fit better than
Dirty Americans, cause the band’s sound isn’t as dirty and/or gritty as is may let on. At any rate,
Strange Generation is a retro-rock excursion that is in league with
Spiritual Beggars,
Siena Root, among others. Unfortunately, the Detroit-based group is essentially mild and uninteresting.
If I give the band credit for one thing, it’s catchiness. Opuses such as “No Rest,” “Car Crash,” and “Strange Generation” (the three openers) are catchy as hell, and they’ll probably have you tapping your foot by each song’s respective end. “Time in Space” is slightly mellower than its brothers, while “Deep End” utilizes acoustic guitar. There are immense grooves in places – I give the band that – and the subtle touches in “Light-Headed” and “Chico” are good. The latter, interestingly enough, commences with full-on drumming. “We Were Young” walks the line that “Time in Space” forged earlier. By the time the thirteenth track came to a halt, I was totally indifferent towards
Strange Generation. Their material – at this point – just wasn’t compelling enough to pique my interest.
No doubt,
Dirty Americans are quickly rising to fame and fortune within countries like France, Iraq, and others. But,
Strange Generation isn’t going to win many people over on this side of the pond. Lamentably, the days when bands rode motorcycles around in fields, while sporting bandanas and using the phrase “American,” ended back in the 1970’s. If you
must have your retro-rock, however, then I suggest looking elsewhere.
7/10
Official Dirty Americans website
Official Liquor and Poker Music website
