Review Summary: There's no doubt this is an improvement from Smart Casual, with more standout tracks and a more consistent sound. It is surely only a matter of time before the lads from South Wales get the recognition - and popularity their excellent songs deserve.
Kids in Glass Houses have come a long way since they released their debut 'Smart Casual' having recently played excellent shows at the Reading and Leeds festivals. It comes as no surprise, as this band have infectious hooks and sing-along choruses by the bucket-load.
Much like Smart Casual, DIRT opens with a fist pumping rock song in Artbreaker 1, ala Fisticuffs which opens (and closes) the album nicely with a catchy chorus (well they all are aren't they?)
Then comes one of my favourites from this album, The Best is Yet to Come - which not only being a really good song shows their evolution as a band with better melodies and hooks.
Sunshine slows down the pace a bit, with its festival 'holler along' chorus which the band attempts to teach to the audience everytime they play, and Youngblood (let it out) continues in a similar mold with its repeated 'Hey!'s and is a decent single - with a cool main riff.
Lilli Rose is more of a poppy song but still succeeds in being a catchy listen, 'Lili Rose eat your heart out!'
Matters at all is one of the singles from the album - and deservedly so, in my opinion its the best on the album. With a cool build up in the verse comes a ridiculously catchy chorus 'And does it matter at all!"
Giving up is a slow, ballady song which adds a nice variety to the album but nothing exactly special here.
For Better or Hearse is a decent enough effort, but the 'oh oh oh' part really does get a tad irritating and the horn sections only degrade the song into being a bit of a mash of styles.
Ah, now undercover lover. I really have no idea why this is a single. Yes it has someone from the Saturday's who i've never really heard but its extremely cheesy, lumbering and a bit embarrasing coming from such a good band. Well I suppose it gets the crowd singing along in festivals.
Then comes Maybe Tomorrow, which is a really good song with one of the best choruses they've done. The verses are a bit swingy for my tastes and the 'gang' style vocals near the end aren't very good, but this doesn't take away from one of the best on the album.
The morning afterlife is basically given up pt 2 and feels like its been shoved in to slow it down. It's a better song however and has got a really nice chorus and it builds up well at the end.
Hunt the haunted is another good song - and its excellent live with a very good chorus yet again 'She's gonna haunt your home and break your bones!'
Then Artbreaker 2, which is just a progression from track 1 but rounds the album off well.
Recommended:
Artbreaker
The Best is Yet to Come
Sunshine
Youngblood (let it out)
Matters at All
Maybe Tomorrow
