Label: Dine Aline Records
Released: 1st January 2021
Rating: ★★★★
‘Fuck Art’ is the latest LP from Canadian trio The Dirty Nil. Born in an unusual environment, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the creation of this album to become a race against time. With bass and drums barely captured, they were left in a scramble to record the guitars. This process usually takes two weeks; it was drastically cut down to two days.
The band easily could have tripped at this hurdle and been forgiven. However, instead of giving up, they persevered and opted to continue work remotely. Vocalist/guitarist Luke Bentham describes the process as “The most insane, crazy, ramshackle putting-together of an album that I’ve ever had to do.” And yet despite this immense pressure, something brilliant was created.
The intro to opening track ‘Doomboy’ smashes through your speakers and makes way for an album crammed full of eleven fun tracks. Stand-out songs include: ‘Ride or Die’ and ‘Hello Jealousy’. In the (seemingly distant) future where we can jump up and down in a cramped, sweaty room once again, these are sure to go down great live. But for now, dancing alone in your bedroom will have to suffice. Tenth track ‘To The Guy Who Stole My Bike’ not only offers a nice change of pace from the other high-energy tunes but also features some amazing guitar work.
‘Elvis ’77’ asks “Question number one; did you have fun?” Listening to this album? Yes. While drawing inspiration from a range of genres, The Dirty Nil have produced something distinctly their own. ‘Fuck Art’ is full of clever lyrics that are both parts funny and thought-provoking. The band has created a high-quality record with not a single mediocre song on the tracklist. Despite the intense deadlines they were under, it sounds in no way rushed, but instead, polished.
