Dirty On Purpose "Hallelujah Sirens" (North Street)
By Kimberly Rosenbauer
Wednesday. Jun 28, 1:34 AM
Careful juxtaposition of indie rock light and dark.

Dirty On Purpose get it. They get how to do new and fresh, melodic and harmonious, soft and loud. They understand hooks, layering, and dynamics. And they’re ready to be your new favorite band. Here’s why.

The quartet from Brooklyn (+1 amazing female vocalist contributor, Jaymay) take pretty little harmonies and back them with upbeat rock guitar and strong percussion, creating a “big vs. small” effect that is very appealing in its delicate balancing act. In the way Dirty On Purpose do this, they compare well to Belle & Sebastian, Of Montreal, and Camera Obscura.

On their debut Hallelujah Sirens, they woo listeners the suave way: with talent. Opener “No Radio” boldly announces its arrival with muted high-pitched trumpets and heavy guitar chords, gradually moving into angelic lyrics singing “the sun came up, the sun came up…” as if to start the new album, a new day, a new sound. And as catchy as the chorus is, the refrain with its harmonic chords makes it even better. It’s the little things that count, and Dirty On Purpose want you to know that they know.

Little things, like how simple melodies start on one guitar, are picked up by the bass as a harmony, then continued to build and evolve measure by measure. The start of “Your Summer Dress” is a great example of this. Additionally, Jaymay’s guest vocals in the chorus are pure gold.

Another boon in the band’s overall package is that they give fair time to showing off all members’ musical prowess without becoming too jam-like or boring to the listener. Most lyrics start several measures into the tracks and, when they do, it feels almost like a natural response to the lines that the instruments have set up.

“Always Looking: Part I” is entirely instrumental, as it leads right into its successor, “Always Looking: Part II,” after an enjoyable 1:51. The track is very affective as the guitar moves slowly and in small steps up and down the scale, but with frequent hesitations that tantalize the listener. “Monument” is another instrumental, but conveys a harsher, more dynamic energy. It seems like the kind of music the band may sometimes want to play to release their aggression, yet they’re smart enough to let it have its space from potential vocals. Also, the call and response between guitar and bass here is brilliant.

Dirty On Purpose are going to make it if they keep this up. Their careful juxtaposition of musical light and dark will most certainly appeal to fans of either (or both), and their overall musical talent will easily carry them past the 10,000 other bands waiting at the door.
www.dirtyonpurpose.com
www.northstreetrecords.net

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Kimberly Rosenbauer

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