Los Angeles – Despite being released on riff-worshiping Exploding in Sound and kicking off with a Nevermind-worthy opening riff, the latest release from Los Angeles’s-by-way-of-Boston band Dirty Dishes is not just 40+ minutes of sheer aggression. Instead, Dirty Dishes follow in the footsteps of a variety of influences throughout Guilty. Of course, like a great deal of their label-mates, nearly all of their influences are deeply rooted in the 90’s alternative scene. It is fitting that in addition to the vinyl and digital release through Exploding in Sound, the band is also releasing a cassette version on Seagreen Records. How 90’s is that?
It also seems appropriate that the members of Dirty Dishes have relocated to Los Angeles from Boston because they seem to tread a space between the former’s spacey, shoegaze-driven bands and the punchier, riffier groups of their former home. Led by founding members Jenny Tuite (vocals) and Alex Molini (synth), Guilty is their second full-length record after 2012’s The Most Tarnished Birds and 2010’s self-titled EP. Joined by friends Doug Wartman, Zack Fierman, Brian Levy and Marc Slutsky, who fill out the drums and bass on various tracks, Dirty Dishes have created a highly listenable album that points to a promising future.
While “Thank You Come Again” has that aforementioned intro that sounds a whole lot like the one from “In Bloom” by Nirvana, don’t be fooled into thinking this will be just another a straightforward neo-grunge tribute album. The first eight minutes of Guilty are by far the most aggressive. Over the subsequent seven tracks, slowcore and shoegaze elements worm their way into the forefront of the band’s sound. “Guilty” features twinkling, math-y guitars in the verses before exploding into an exotic, droning and wordless chorus.
On Guilty, Tuite’s vocals stick to the more shoegaze-y side of the Dirty Dishes’ sound, and her voice suits the mood of the music well. On some of the slower songs – in particular on “Lackluster,” she sounds like a clone of Emily Kokal. On the more driving songs such as the second track, “Red Roulette,” she is more reminiscent of Autolux’s drummer/vocalist Carla Azar. While Tuite’s vocals do a lot to set the band apart from some of their peers, they are not afraid to go fully instrumental, as heard on the over-six-minute interlude, “Dinnerbell.”
Another victory for Dirty Dishes on Guilty is that each song sounds quite distinct, and there are few tracks that could be mistaken for another. This seems to be a fault that plagues many of the 90’s revival bands that have been popping up over the last few years. The ability to craft intelligent, varied and captivating songs over the course of an entire full-length record gives Dirty Dishes and advantage over quite a few like-minded bands.
While Dirty Dishes does not have any tour dates planned at this time, keep an eye on Exploding in Sounds’ tour page for any updates.
Matt Matasci
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