Dirty Americans

A band that calls itself the Dirty Americans might be expected to deliver lyrical decadence and musical sleaze, but if that's what you're expecting then prepare to be disabused: these guys are from Detroit, a city that tends to produce rockers made in its own hardworking, blue-collar image rather than fancy-pants glam boys or dissolute bohemians. Strange Generation is the Dirty Americans' debut album, originally released in Europe on the Roadrunner label in 2004; its reissue comes on the heels of a limited-edition EP that tested the waters of the American marketplace and found them warm and inviting. At its best, Strange Generation delivers solid, deeply satisfying rock & roll comfort food -- the meat'n'potatoes riffage that powers "No Rest" and "Time in Space" is nicely complemented by the blissfully pretty harmonies on power pop gems like "Burn You Down." At their worst -- the all-around unremarkable "Deep End" and similarly okay "Chico" -- the Dirty Americans are solidly workmanlike. And if the worst you can say about a Detroit band is that they're "workmanlike," well, that's hardly a criticism at all. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide