The Dirtbombs

Led by ex-Gories and Blacktop superstar Mick Collins, the Dirtbombs finally deliver their first full-length record after several wildly uneven singles. Horndog Fest is essentially a more successful continuation of this new mix and match noise/garage sound. Musically, the album ranges from R&B rave ups (“Can’t Stop Thinking About It”) to epic, almost classic rock (“Armageddon…”) to noisier, more experimental tracks (“My Heart Burns...”) and even Devo-like new wave (“Pheremone Smile”). Ironically, it’s probably Collins’s most consistent work thematically, with the topics of outer space, not getting laid, and world destruction coming up over and over. Even though this album doesn’t come close to the strength of his previous work, it’s great to hear Collins making music and breaking some new ground, even if it doesn’t work all the time.