Showcase Chicago

At least in my tape bag, honest, appealing songs are far outnumbered by flashy rehashes of trend and style. Belonging wholeheartedly to the category of the former, The Dirtmen purvey highly accessible songcraft and dark, pensive words which remind me of the beautiful loser confessions of American Music Club's Mark Eitzel.

"Something in This World" tastes like juiced-up folk-rock and, like the whole of the tape, its somber mood of loss and acceptance is contagious. The track's tom-tom heavy percussion and powerful/succinct guitar play recalls the rural tribalism of Guadalcanal Diary.

"Where Do You Walk" is a beautiful bit of subdued pop, with John Kelly's haunting vocals playing a more distinctive role than his accompaniment. "Brack N Roll"'s eerie shifting and sliding guitars are great, lapping at the heels of a tasteful guitar solo which is so well interwoven into the tune that I had to rewind the tape to make sure it was there.

"Suzanne" is no greater in tempo, but is more aggressive in it's deep, chugging anchor of a rhythm section. Fuller by merits of its varied and erratic pitches, the sum of its parts is darkly winsome.

John Kelly is a very good songwriter, whose rough-around-the-edges delivery effectively mirrors the irresistibly ragged personality of his songs.