The Dirty Nil follow up their blistering debut album with the hit factory that is Master Volume. Building on everything that made their debut (Higher Power) great they’ve added more suave, swagger and youthful abandon. Couple that with hooks and guitar hero, power chord driven riffs and you’ve got an album of the year contender. Master Volume is an perfect example of a band defining their sound and capturing their infectious personalities on record.
The album is a party album and a cathartic album rolled into one. With frontman Luke Bentham’s signature wailing and the massive guitars it’s hard not to dance. But when the lyrics and song meanings are dissected a new approach to the album is uncovered. In truth it’s the infectious positivity of this album that makes it so alluring. When the lead single Bathed In Light is about death and yet it has a way to it that makes you feel invincible.
What first drew me to The Dirty Nil was the positivity that just comes through their songs. The wailing lyrics and big riffs coupled with little side quips within songs that instantly put a smile on your face. Whether it’s the lyrics in Super 8 about Arizona melting ice cream, or the nice fuck you in Auf Wiedersehen it’s hard to pick a favourite moment. The flow between bouncy punk rock songs (Please, Please Me) to slower grungy offerings (Always High) present great pacing that doesn’t tire you out or bore you.
If you’ve ever seen this three piece live you’ll know what a rockstar frontman Luke Bentham is, and what a stage presence he the rest of the band have. For so many bands capturing that stage presence on record is almost impossible. Yet on Master Volume, The Dirty Nil have done it with seeming ease. It’s impossible not to imagine Luke’s struts, windmills and guitar antics when listening to this record.
Master Volume is the perfect sophomore record. It takes everything that was great about the debut and builds on it. It captures the live show energy perfectly. It will leave a smile on your face. It’s easily one of the best albums of 2018.