Dirty Pretty Things – Bang Bang You’re Dead / 2006 Interscope / 5 Tracks / http://www.dirtyprettythingsband.com / Reviewed 25 December 2006
Dirty Pretty Things were all the rage earlier this year in the United Kingdom, and it will probably be early in 2007 where the masses of mTV watchers get an idea of why Dirty Pretty Things were so big. Their big hit is “Bang Bang You’re Dead”, a track that goes forth and blends together older styles of rock with a Jimmy’s Chicken Shack sound to touch all bases. This EP has four songs, with a fifth present if one considers the “Bang Bang You’re Dead” acoustic version to be a separate track.
Dirty Pretty Things start out with the same type of bombast as both The Darkness and The Zutons did in previous years, but by the end of “Bang Bang You’re Dead”, individuals do not know whether the band will be able to continue the same high level of quality. “Deadwood” has the same energy of “Bang Bang You’re Dead”, to the point that there is a high amount of cohesion between the two tracks. This gives individuals a better idea what Dirty Pretty Things sound like, even at this early point of this album. “Deadwood” brings individuals more of a rockabilly sound from Dirty Pretty Things, so it is not as if the band is merely reiterating their previous hits for a slightly new sound. When the band goes into the vault for an acoustic track, such as “Gin & Milk”, what results is not what individuals would expect from an acoustic track. There is a certain amount of soul present in this Dirty Pretty Things track that is miles away from what normal acoustic tracks bring to the table.
While it does not have much in common with the opening tracks, what “Gin & Milk” does is open up listeners to the different abilities of the band. There are only four original tracks on this EP, and while this is usually not enough for individuals to begin to understand the allure of a band, Dirty Pretty Things is able to give a concentrated shot of their own essence to anyone that may be listening in. If you haven’t had a chance to hear Dirty Pretty Things, make sure to pick up at least this EP. Preferably, the full length would be a better buy, but there is just a lot of material present on the EP as well.
Top Track: Bang Bang You’re Dead
Rating: 6.6/10
[JMcQ]