Dirty Nil Cinnamon Review

The Dirty Nil

Cinnamon b/w Guided By Vices

Fat Wreck Chords

Review by hutch

Admittedly, I had never heard of The Dirty Nil. That said, I am not a fan of the FWC ilk. The Dirty Nil however evade the poppiness or uber polished production of most of Fat releases. The Dirty Nil, and their damned handsome youth, has been a band since each members’ high school years. That was only in 2006. This is their fifth EP since 2011.

The Dirty Nil boast a captivating sound, while maintaining a raucous edge that conveys an authentic adoration of rock and roll. The first track, “Cinnamon” reminds me of what I thought Everclear should sound like (“Santa Monica” is a classic, but beyond the sentimentality of “Father of Mine”, I never liked any other song by them. Yet when reviewed, they got called “punk”.) “Cinnamon” probably extracts the aspect of Weezer that punk dudes like, but which I never got. It’s dirty and wrought with feedback, like a happy Nirvana. The catchy riff and vocals are undeniable even for a curmudgeon like me. The factor which impresses me is straight forward production. No one over thought this and it works perfectly.

“Guided by Vices” is relayed with a broader approach; a little grander in scope. And hey, this track sits at 2:30, as opposed to side A’s 2 minute trek. Again, solemn feel being exorcised through coarse, garage rock delivery melds well. The combination of attitude and execution won’t kill the party, but will prompt you to grab another drink. There are some swirling indie spasms of say an early Pissed Jeans; but they wander as light as a Jawbox or Jawbreaker. They stay steady in the rock and roll course.

Poking a short digital distance on Vimeo, The Dirty Nil performs a faster (1:39), blistering rager named after their hero, “Guy Piccioto”. As with this video, other videos (including “Cinnamon”) continually have the band live in a small room among three or four friends. Eschewing the pretension and garish arrogance which making a video could conjure, these young dudes earn respect points as well. A few listens, and I want to play it more. Volume, speed, and grit push this band. Now we need a full length.

The cover is cool, a minimalist’s Dead Kennedy scrapbook pop art feel; the American family superimposed over a spewing, erupting volcano. FWC delivers this catchy thing on colored vinyl. The pics of the band look like what I expect from California kids (who are from Hamilton, Ontario actually) who are happy and full of promise. It’s infuriating.

RIYL: Filthy Nights, The Sun, Born Liars, The Jons, The Lillingtons, Leatherface, Avail