Album review: DIRTY WHITE BOYZ – Down And Dirty

Escape Music www.escape-music.com [Release date 24.03.17]

Not the classic one album band from the late 80′s featuring Earl Slick and David Glenn Eisley, this is a new band and they have a ‘z’ on the end of their name. The vocalist is Tony Mitchell, who fronted Kiss Of The Gypsy, a band that released one album in 1991 (and I still have the cassette somewhere!). Joining him are Paul Hume (guitars) and Neil Ogden (drums), both members of Demon and Lawless, Nigel Bailey (bass), who has appeared in numerous bands including Lifeline and Bailey, and rhythm guitarist Jamie Crees.

The album kicks off with a decent melodic hard rocker in the shape of ‘All She Wrote’, although the next song up ‘Dynamite’, is a bit of a plodder. However, the album gets back on track with the catchy AOR chorus on ‘Hangin’ On A Heartache’ and the ballad, ‘Ride With Angels’, is a great mobile-phone-in-the-air sing-a-long. Tony Mitchell still has that bluesy rasp to his singing, sounding powerful on the other ballad on here, ‘After The Rain’.

Dirty White Boyz hit the spot more on the more AOR leaning tunes like the immense ‘Rise’. This one sounds like prime time FM, impressive stuff and like many songs on here, benefiting from a guitar solo from Paul Hume. Or ‘Waiting For This Feeling’, one for the summer and cranking up loud. However, when the band go a little more basic and rocky like on ‘Playing Dirty’, you do feel you have heard it all before.

Nice bit of 70′s retro on the keys and sound on ‘All In The Name Of Rock ‘N’ Roll’, where the band unleash their inner Faces by way of the Quireboys. Not quite in line with the sound of the other songs on the album, but great fun and if the band play live, one that demands to be performed on stage.

Enjoyable and for the most part, a strong set of songs on the Dirty White Boyz debut album. Classy AOR/melodic hard rock for the most part, and worth getting. ***1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

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