Review: Dirty Beaches - Badlands

Dirty Beaches is Alex Zhang Hungtai, a Montreal-based musician who makes beautifully grimy, dramatically nostalgic music.  The songs are clearly influced by 50s pop and doo-wop, but as important as the songs is the production - it sounds as if you're listening on an antique radio, long-forgotten in an attic somewhere.  And the sound of this record is absolutely essential to the listening experience - these would not be the same songs presented any other way.

Listening to the record I feel that it is the soundtrack to a film that I've never seen (probably a Jim Jarmusch film, to give you a picture).  The term cinematic is overused when describing music - and I might be guilty myself, but this music is the very definition of cinematic.  It paints a grainy picture and draws you in.  It's no surprise that Huntai cites Wong Kar-wai films as a major influence.  Musically, there's a little bit of Elvis vocal snarl, and a lot of Suicide.  The way that Hungtai takes pop ideas and shoves them through a minimalistic meatgrinder is not at all unlike the approach that Alan Vega and Martin Rev took to songwriting.   Hungtai just trades the synths for a more organic crackle and hiss.

Dirty Beaches is meditative, nighttime music - not what I'd put on at a party, but perfect music to get lost in.  Listen to the Phil Spector-indebted "Lord Knows Best" below.

Dirty Beaches - Lord Knows Best

And since I have an excuse to post a Suicide track, here's the incomparable, perfect "Dream Baby Dream".

Suicide - Dream Baby Dream