Feature • Dirty Sweet Nothings, “Self-Titled”

Originally Posted: October 2, 2013

‘Porcelain Voodoo’ opens “Dirty Sweet Nothings” with complementing drums and an expressive vocal performance. From the get-go, the group’s mixing and production skills are very evident. The chorus is absolutely killer, catchy vocals and chord progressions meshing well with verses that were very good at showing the imagery of the story. A unique, simplistic lead guitar solo closed out that track, reminiscent of bands like Rage Against the Machine and Muse. ‘Take You Away’ contains an excellent intro and exposed, soft, quiet verses, featuring only an acoustic guitar and vocals. This allows the lyrics to take command and control of listeners, and showcases very good production skills. There is a fair amount of dissonance here and there, but the main aspect here is another outstanding, expressive vocal performance. ‘Transylvania’ has more edge, more grit, and more balls; the song is riff-heavy, the bass carrying the beginning of the first verse solely before the guitar comes in for support. The harmonies were well-written, and well-placed in the chorus, and an intelligent, classic organ sound is perfect for the title of the song. The lyrics are very easy to follow, as are the story lines, and this was best song so far, making listeners want to get up and dance. The song is structured well and takes listeners on a roller-coaster ride of emotion and energy; it would be very hard to dislike the song’s main riff/motif/melody. ‘Sweet Lines’ is bass-led with synth-vocal sounds in the intro. The song is experimental and ambient by nature with fantastic lyrical content and wordplay. It is one of the better, more unique songs on the record. The song continues to build, differentiating in and out between subtle and aggressive changes, the chorus playing a huge part in this. The dynamics in each instrument are well-thought out; just when you think the song is done, the band comes back for more, and stronger than ever at that. Each instrument and vocal part becomes huge, loud, and abrasive, but never in a negative fashion, before slowing and quieting towards the song’s close.

‘Find My Love’ opens the song with an exceptionally clean, clear guitar tone, and a submissive, quiet vocal joins shortly thereafter for the first verse. This is another example of great lyric writing, even though it was the softest, quietest track on the album. These recordings are very honest, and very good; it’s very easy to imagine the band playing right in front of you as you listen. Unfortunately, this is a quality that is lost on a large number of bands in today’s day and age, but not so with Dirty Sweet Nothings. ‘Sweet Forgiveness’ features great slapback delay on the rhythm guitar, as a blues rock groove in the intro leads to a soft, peaceful verse. It begins to build at the pre chorus, and comes in full in the chorus, showcasing a combination of lots of different styles. ‘Everyday’ was very dance-oriented from the beginning; this was my personal favorite as great imagery collided with a great feel and groove. There’s lots of bounce and jump in this one, along with a great closing line to each chorus. Again, it was easy to envision the story line due to the constructive, prepared use of imagery. The main riff/motif/melody is incredibly funky, and left me wanting more and more. ‘Jake’s Song’ was soft and introspective. This solid song contained another good chorus and more jazz influence, the song feeling full even though there are only a few things going on. ‘Let’s Go to Town’ opened with a haunting, dark, spacey intro. I can imagine this song being extremely fun to play live in concert, as its instrumentation led to a very descriptive, very sensual feel, by mood and lyrical content. ‘Shower Song’ closes the album with powerful drums. The lead guitar work is very good, and coupled with a supportive bass, they set a great groove. I can’t help myself from bobbing my head along to the music, and the drums have a lot to do with this. They are great throughout the entire album, and they are very good on this track. Group vocals are present during a huge bridge, only until the instruments then become subdued as the lyrics become the main focus. They are very descriptive and sensual, again painting a very obvious picture that is hard to miss. ‘Chase the World’ was a bonus track of a live performance featuring only a ukelele, acoustic guitar, and male and female vocals. The lyrics are again very honest, and again the song features a memorable chorus. Vocalist Dan Segal is an excellent writer, and this is showcased time and time again on this record. This is a very, very good album, and I was very impressed with the debut offering from Dirty Sweet Nothings.

How did you come together as a band? What situations or life experiences have inspired you to write music?

“Our band was formed as a combination of old and new friendships. Josh (drums) and I went to primary school together and have been friends for about 20 years now. Daniel L was a recent addition to our band of brothers. He’s from way up north of Australia, in Townsville. The thing that all three of us had in common was a musical aesthetic of letting the song breathe and having fun the whole way along. We rarely put ourselves under pressure and as a result, we write really honest music. The situations and life experiences I have find themselves tattooed into all my songs. My reflections and retellings, though probably selfishly skewed, are what inspire the lyrics. The music is inspired from absolutely everywhere, from the easy listening radio stations that I sheepishly tune into when no one’s in the car, to live sets by dirty blues bands in raunchy nightclubs. You can’t close your ears, so everything inspires me. I’m sure the other two would agree with that sentiment.”

Who are your biggest musical influences?

“Jeff Buckley, Ben Harper, Incubus, Ray Mann 3, Fink, My Chemical Romance, Dave Matthews Band, D’Angelo, The Beatles, Fall Out Boy, Red Hot Chili Peppers and John Mayer.”

Tell us about the music scene in Sydney; what is Australia like? What are your favorite aspects of the city, and of your homeland?

“It’s a funny one, Sydney. Unfortunately, there are a lot of venues who are pressured by high taxes and rates and thus are forced to hire cover bands and DJs to keep people drinking (and fighting). We have to be pretty careful about what venues we choose and when we play so we can pull a decent crowd. There are a lot of independent musicians, however, we don’t have the population for some of the smaller niches to gain a following enough to support the musicians. The best thing about Sydney and Australia is the weather and the lifestyle. We’re really blessed with a peaceful and generally happy-go-lucky country. Sydney is an extremely easy city to live in, even though it’s expensive; if you’ve got wheels and a decent job (of which there are plenty), the night (or day) is yours.”

Have you visited or played in the United States? What’s next for Dirty Sweet Nothings?

“We’ve all been to the states at different times, but not as a band. We’d love to come and play for you though! Unfortunately we’re currently without management, so 3 musicians organizing a tour is near to impossible.I’ve got a batch of new songs to workshop with the boys, so we’ll make an EP early next year. Until then, we will play a few gigs in Australia and South East Asia over our summer (your winter).”