FLASH: HANDS OFF! – DIRTY MITTS

Five tracks, that’s all the British quartet Dirty Mitts needs to convince, and it’s called Hands Off! Review.

HANDS OFF! – DIRTY MITTS

If they wanted me to keep my hands off of their EP, too bad. Once it’s spinning, Hands Off! is the type of record to keep close for another round. Here, it’s all about dirty rock, sooty black, the type that has the exact smell of the almost-dried-off beer on the wooden floor of an old English venue. And of course, with each guitar riff, the Dirty Mitts win points in that category, oh so dear to me.

You Better Run! (Villains Theme) is a beautiful way to start it all in that genre – the atmosphere promises to be ominous, a delightful threat. They’re rumbling through it and on My Show, of which the final third plays well with that atmosphere looming over it. Ball and Chain has something more cowboy-like, even more blues, and all the while absolutely captivating. And I’m still fascinated as they are playing Women. I’m sorry, but are those drums legal? Banger.

But the banger of all bangers on this EP comes with thunder. Ride the Storm compiles everything that makes Hands Off! a success: a dirty blues rock, a fierce attitude, heavy guitars… it’s the storm I needed. And there is no doubt here, Dirty Mitts sign a defining EP that, if I’ve enjoyed it so much, leaves me on edge. I would have easily taken two more tracks. Now, can’t wait for what’s next!