Dirty Nice – ‘Planet Weekend’ album review: All concept, no album
THE SKINNY: Dirty Nice have released a new album, Planet Weekend, which is a conceptual album put together by Mark Thompson and Charlie Peeling. It’s a combination of animation, humour and music, all of which paint a picture of a fictional theme park and the attractions contained there. This is strictly an album review, so the art and other external elements won’t be judged here, which was to the album’s detriment a great deal; however, the music should be able to stand up on its own… emphasis on the word “should”.
This album subscribes to a very specific style of music, which is played out, repetitive and uninspired. Unfortunately, regardless of the ambitious idea and exciting artistic styles that might have gone into the record, it’s extremely hard to move past that sound. The idea is nice, but it manifests as 18 songs presenting a style of music that we seem incapable of escaping in the modern age and that forces choruses down your throat. It feels explicitly written for festival crowds and soundtracks for films set in summer.
There is no doubt in my mind that this album will find a fanbase, as this is a style of music I hear constantly, so I assume people are listening; however, the whole thing seems to rely on finding a catchy melody, harmonising it and then applying whatever oscillating chords work in the background. I can’t get excited about the concept or storytelling throughout this record because every time a song starts, I roll my eyes and zone out.
There are a few positive moments, songs like ‘Better If We Don’t’ and ‘Spit’ come to mind. There is no doubt plenty of musical skill within this outfit, it just feels as though it’s been applied in the wrong way. I assume more people will like this album than dislike it, but for this reviewer, it’s an LP that will fade into obscurity amongst a backdrop of projects that sound just like it.
For fans of: That same indie style that we seem unable to escape.
A concluding comment from one of the fairground workers at Planet Weekend: “I love it here, but can we change the radio station?”
Planet Weekend track by track:
Release: May 23rd | Producer: Charlie Pelling and Mark Thompson | Label: Chiverin Records
‘Planet Weekend’: An introduction to the concept. [n/a]
‘Another Life’: Classic indie pop. There is almost a mid-western indie feel to this track, which uses harmony straight off the bat and incorporates soft guitar music, whistling, and a serene atmosphere to layer this song. It’s reminiscent of that indie sound that was popular 15 years ago and is having a resurgence currently, the kind that sounds as though it was written for festival fields and doesn’t work if crowds of thousands aren’t singing along. [2.5/5]
‘What I Wanna Hear’: The introduction is laced with a soft-sounding guitar line, notes plucked repeatedly on a tinny six-string. The vocal melody is easy to nod to, as is the entire song. Again, it subscribes very specifically to a certain kind of indie and refuses to veer far from what is already an established formula. The song is lovely, but it’s hard to listen to it and hear anything other than background music. [2.5/5]
‘Like Best Friends’: An interesting introduction with jabs on vocals that interlink with hits of guitar. The track is a bit heavier than those that came before it, as tales of part-time jobs and new friendships are told over this sporadic indie rock backdrop. [3/5]
‘Attraction #1 (Alien Abduction)’: An alien voice speaks, promising you the stars. [n/a]
‘If I Was Abducted By Aliens’: A slower and more stripped-back song that sings about a desire to be abducted by aliens and ride among the stars. The instrumentation is simple but sweet-sounding, the main focal point of the track is the lyrics, which feature someone pondering over what it would be like to be abducted by aliens and also conversations with aliens about where the toilet is and if it’s possible to go home first to say bye to loved ones. I’ll be honest, it’s not doing a great deal. [2.5/5]
‘That’s What We Do’: I do think an album that focuses on animation and sound, with its story, is difficult to judge just based on sound. The first issue comes with ‘That’s What We Do’, as I have no idea if we are on a spaceship or in a Fiat Punto at the moment. References to seatbelts make me think the latter, but dreams of flying and a recorded message saying “don’t leave without telling me,” make me think the former. Regardless, I don’t like the song. [1.5/5]
‘Coco Leche’: The theme of ‘Coco Leche’ is a new form of candy. Is it Earth candy? Are we on another planet? Who knows? Regardless of the planet we’re on, this song is the most irritating on the album so far. The chorus is so in your face that it feels more irritating than catchy, not to mention the whole track sounds half-finished and incredibly tinny. [1.5/5]
‘Attraction #2 (A Fortune Telling)’: A woman entices you with promises of revealing your fortune. [n/a]
‘Better If We Don’t’: The instrumentation here is funky, as slapped bass runs through the entire track, and the beat is easy to tap to. A catchy chorus (that isn’t too in your face) floods the song, and a great guitar solo kicks in towards the end. The track is a nice, funky, psychedelic number and one of the standouts on the record. [3/5]
‘Devastated (By You)’: Damn, this guy really wants to be devastated by someone. He’s so hellbent on getting the message across that the proclamation is accompanied by no sound every time around. We’re back to the forced catchiness that I can’t help but get my back up at. That being said, credit where it’s due, I enjoyed the stripped-back introduction to this song and thought the intergalactic solo towards the end was great. [2.5/5]
‘Merry-Go-Round Girl’: I assume the speed of this song has been written to try and mimic a merry-go-round in some way, but they don’t move this fast; this just sounds silly. The song is awkward to listen to and unpleasant throughout. [0.5/5]
‘Attraction #3 (The Hall of Mirrors)’: A voice entices you to the hall of mirrors. I’m gonna have to take a long look at myself once I’m through listening to this. [n/a]
‘Who Do I Talk To To Make A Complaint?’: My question exactly. No, let’s be real now, this song was nearly there. A simple acoustic guitar, a nice singing voice, on an album where many of the songs blend into one another, the minimalist nature was almost a stroke of genius… almost. Then we get to the chorus and the vocals become layered in that frustrating style once more, and words are extended and screamed, once again, presumably for the benefit of hearing crowds sing it. This song should have been one guitar, one voice, and a vocal melody almost left by the wayside in pursuit of just taking a moment to reflect. Instead, we get another forced ballad. [1/5]
‘What If Love Was A Slot Machine?’: Music is subjective, but I just don’t know who is listening to this mess and enjoying it? Maybe I’m missing out once again by only listening to the album and not having accompanying animations, but the song alone is messy and hard to sit through. [0.5/5]
‘Attraction #4 (Ferris Wheel)’: A call about the Ferris wheel breaking down and a couple at the top spitting on people. [n/a]
‘Spit’: Contrary to the title, this is a sweet-sounding indie song. It’s not too in your face and is just nice to sit back and listen to. Simple chords, nice vocals that aren’t trying too hard and a very subtle string section. [3.5/5]
‘Planet Weekend (News Report)’: An outro about how fun Planet Weekend is… OK. [n/a]
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