Dirtmusic Troubles

'Troubles' is the new album from Dirtmusic - Chris Eckman (The Walkabouts) and Hugo Race (Fatalists/True Spirit/Bad Seeds) - recorded in Bamako, Mali, in September 2012 during the high-tension and tragic recent crisis - hence the name, Troubles. Originally a trio with Chris Brokaw (Come/Codeine), Dirtmusic released their eponymous debut in 2007, a gritty collection of acoustic ballads drawn from their American and Australian frontier roots. The bands explorations of raw, psych-folk-rock then took a radical detour out to the Saharan desert, to Timbuktu, performing at the legendary Festival-au-Desert.

Dirtmusic's debut "Troubles" has moved from "their self-proclaimed music you play the verahda/porch" platform due to personnel and "up river" & in-the-bush reasons into the marsh of pseudo Peter Gabriel-esque numbers with a more studio produced "World Music" production" vibe. The strong standouts on Trouble are; "Way Ya You" & "God is A Mystery" combine these with the tracks from Dirt Music's LP "BKO", "Black Gravity*" (*my favorite DM tune) and "Desert Wind" and you have the genesis for a "Dirtmusic Hits" LP ~ Sota Smith