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Written by Eammon Azizi Wednesday, 30 July 2008 14:42

Indie, punk, garage rock that'll keep you wanting more and more...

Formed out of Santa Fe, The Dirty Hearts deliver an impressive collection of hook-filled tracks on their second LP release, Pigs. Right off the bat the first two tracks, "Record Store" and "Alone," will catch your attention with pounding guitar riffs and descending melodies that'll stick in your ears. These two tracks are also good indicators of what the rest of the album has in store: songs that get to the point and rarely drag on unless there's a payoff worth waiting for.

While it's mostly straight-ahead, in-your-face rock, the added dimension of an organ and synthesizer give the songs a haunted atmosphere that works well within this aggressive formula. And not every song is all about a high-energy explosion. "Cold Feet" shows off the band's calmer side, featuring a bluesy saxophone mixed with a swirling organ, soft backing vocals and a clean guitar. Then there's the epic, "Possession Blues." It sounds like something a modern-day Stooges would write, with a large musical buildup that lands back in that punk, pounding-out space where The Dirty Hearts thrive.

The most upbeat and poppy track is "Where I Come From." Its happy organ and shuffled beat will have you picturing indie rock kids inside a crowded, sweaty venue, going side to side shaking their asses. Something interesting is how the song "No Strings Attached" appears twice: once in English and again in Spanish, "Sin Ataduras." For some reason I'm digging the Spanish version more. The verses are much more powerful with the Spanish accent, giving the song a good shot in the arm.

The Dirty Hearts add, mix and blend so many small elements into these songs that each one offers something unique to the listener. With that, along with strong songwriting, it's an album that doesn't become tired or boring. And now that I know the songs well enough to mouth along, I'd definitely be up for catching them live, making sure to drag out my punk and indie-rock friends, too. I guess what I'm really trying to say is, "Hey, go listen to this!" A | Eammon Azizi

RIYL: Iggy Pop, Pixies, The Clash

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