Dirty Halo – Review

Dirty Halo

by Wa

Formed by Andrews Diamond (named after a crater located in Oregon and not related to Neil or King), Dirty Halo is a Top 40 alt-pop knock-off that sounds akin to The Partridge Family meets Elliot Smith. This group is the kind of over-produced sound that leaves you feeling guilty or – dare I say it – dirty, that you ever put the disc in. Imagine a watered-down pop cover of Leonard Cohen anthem “Everybody Knows” and you might get a sense of the disconnect present on Dirty Halo.

The disaster continues on track three, “6 (degrees),” where Diamond rips the picking guitar sample from Buffalo Springfield’s classic “For What it’s Worth” that goes uncredited in the liner notes, and abuses it with a little ditty about six degrees of separation that diminishes the poignancy of the original. Later in the song, Diamond feels compelled to form an entire verse out of other well-known choruses from more famous classic rock songs including the lines “you can’t always get what you want,” “but I try with a little help from my friends,” “love is all you need,” and so forth.

Diamond is clearly influenced by fellow Portland psych-rock act King Black Acid and current David Bowie darlings the Dandy Warhols. If you enjoy Dashboard Confessional or Brundlefly, you might enjoy this album. Well-produced and glossy as hell, I recommend passing on it in favor of something that tastes a little less like bubble gum and has little more like substance.
(www.dirtyhalo.com)