Dirty on Purpose: Hallelujah Sirens

Dirty on Purpose isn’t dirty at all. It’s a bunch of “ooh” and “ahh” singing over the top of mid-tempo indie rock. The instruments blend into a single uniform sound the moves up and down, faster or slower in gestalt. The piano or guitar repeats a melody line, usually nothing designed to stand out. Even when the percussion pushes the pace, the soft tenor singing remains relaxed and calm. Ultimately it all contributes to the layers of texture that build. The sparse songs are too light and wispy. The bigger the noise Dirty on Purpose makes, the better they sound.

Rating: * * * *

Boat: Songs That You Might Not Like

It doesn’t get more do-it-yourself sounding than Boat. The playing is sloppy and loose, but that seems to be more of a stylistic choice than a lack of talent. They sound like slackers in a basement. The songs are short, catchy, and sometimes clever. They throw in odd effects and nonconventional instruments here and there (though I guess clapping and whistling do not qualify as instruments). Really Boat is a bunch of silliness making absurd rhymes to music while waiting for the pizza guy. It’s fun. It’s peppy. It’s songs that you might like more than Boat thinks you will.

Rating: * * * *

Jurassic 5: Feedback

This is the first Jurassic 5 album I’ve listened to—apparently their last before breaking up. On Feedback, they reminded me of De La Soul. Even though they don’t achieve De La Soul’s standard, the comparison is a compliment. I appreciate that they used readily identifiable instruments (when so much hip hop is performed using loops, drum machines, and programmed effects). This made the few songs that I didn’t care for more tolerable. I understand that J5 fans think this album is watered down, tired, and done to death. They think that it lacks an edge. I can see that.

Rating: * * *

Belle & Sebastian: The Life Pursuit

Dear Catastrophe Waitress moved along so quietly and slowly. The Life Pursuit pushes the tempo and even includes a wild electric guitar solo on “We Are the Sleepyheads.” Belle & Sebastian’s jangly folk style wakes up. By keeping the acoustic guitars to a minimum, they manage to invigorate their brand of Scottish indie pop. It never stales or becomes mired in sentiment. At times Belle & Sebastian sound like they’re trying out for a hip TV show or teen movie soundtrack, but I don’t think this is on purpose. Oft imitated, these guys refuse to be duplicated, even by themselves.

Rating: * * * * *