photo by Matt Leaf; photo courtesy of Head First Entertainment

Album Review of Dirtbag Republic: Tear Down Your Idols

Dirtbag Republic‘s vocals are raw but its instrumentation is full and rich, giving the band’s catchy, memorable, (sometimes) singalongable, energetically straight-forward hard rock just a hint of a punk edge. Add fun, unapologetic lyrics, classic rock guitar runs, and an in-your-face delivery to the mix, and you’ll discover a new favorite band. My first inclination was to compare Dirtbag Republic with the London Quireboys and Dogs D’Amour, but no, if you dig a little deeper, this is a top-shelf, talent-heavy Sunset Strip-caliber hard rock outfit with its own inimitable style. This band checks so many boxes – with plenty of bonus “style points” – that I can only categorize its potential fans base as “fans of guitar-driven rock ‘n roll.” And, I might add, why are you not already listening to these guys?!

There’s so much to write about this album, I’ll do a song-by-song, as-I-listen review.

The disc opens with a guitar riff that screams “rock and roll!” as “Main Objective” kicks of with a frenetic-paced journey through Dirtbag Republic’s original sound, sporting classic rock guitar riffs, rough-as-broken-glass vocals, a vocal line that stylistically moves around the pocket, rarely landing directly on the beat, a couple Enuff Z’Nuff-ish distorted harmonies, the anthemic lyrics “as long as I am still alive, rock and roll will never die,” and a guitar line that simply does not stop, slow down, or break to take a single breath.

image courtesy of Head First Entertainment

Whew, when that song’s over, you want a break? Ha! You wish! The tempo doesn’t slow a bit on “Skinny.” There is just the slightest hint of space in the not-quite-so-wall-of-sound sound bed, but man, the lyrics are biting, culminating in the oh-yes-you-will-sing-along chorus “She’s too skinny, look a little closer. She’s too skinny, anorexia nervosa.”

So, yes, two songs in, and you’ll be hooked. You’ll know this is one of your new favorite bands. As a reward, you get a little break from a tempo that is now a little less way-too-fast. But the songs are still as rockin’, and the lyrics and delivery just as much fun. “Wannabes,” for example, is next, and it’s all about… well, being a rocker.

On “Days Are Gone,” about wasted teenage years, you’ll find yourself singing along with the chorus “long gone, those days are gone.” See, I told you there’d be lots of singing along.

“Don’t Answer to No One” is another would-be hit single (if you could find hard rock on the radio). It’s yet another Dirtbag Republic song with a monster hook and a singalong chorus. Do you detect a pattern? Yeah, but it’s a catchy-as-hell, fun, rockin’ pattern. And there’s a moderately-nuanced distorted guitar bridge just past the midway point that you should listen for – it’s one of those guitar parts that, if it’s done properly (and this one is) lets you know “there are no new lyrics, but that’s OK because you’ll enjoy our musical arrangement as we repeat lines from the chorus a few more times until the end of the song.”

What’s next? Oh, yeah, it’s the title track “Tear Down Your Idols.” It’s another rollicking, hooky, memorable song you’ll find yourself singing along to during and long after listening to the album. Gotta say, though, based on the lyrics, it sounds like maybe your idols have kinda turned into money-grubbing losers who deserve to be torn down, or at least knocked down a peg or two.

When you listen to how the band sings “Sorry,” you almost can’t tell they’re Canadian… except that they have a song called “Sorry,” which is the most stereotypically Canadian song title of all time. It is also, though, a rhythm section-driven, hard rockin’ number you’ll dig. Next up, “Did All I Could” utilizes somewhat sidewinding guitarwork and more finesse-driven drumming to provide a cool new vibe without sacrificing tempo.

The next song, “Superficial” is another standout. I’m not sure if it’s the music that’s so catchy or if it’s just fun to sing along with the word combination of “superficial unconditional.” Regardless, I’m starting to wonder if I’ll run out of fingers counting how many of the songs on this 11-track disc are memorable, though I think maybe I counted the first two songs twice, so that contributes to the digit scarcity.

Penultimate song “When I Was Young” opens with a bit of a raw, Green Day-ish vibe before developing into a straight-forward, driving guitar rocking number, reaching a tempo and pace that continues through the end of the album on disc-ender “Turn Back Fast.”

Whew! What a disc. If you like rock ‘n roll but don’t like Dirtbag Republic’s Tear Down Your Idols, then you don’t like rock ‘n roll.

Looking Ahead

According to this Instagram post, Dirtbag Republic is mixing its new album, slated for a 2024 release. I can’t wait!