A wise man once said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The same could be said about an album…but man is it hard to get past the absolutely cringe worthy cover of Dirty Shirley’s self titled debut. Fronted by up and coming singer Dino Jelusic and shred legend George Lynch, the project is signed to Frontiers Records. It’s one of my favorite labels. However, we all know the drill by now. To their own admission, Frontiers puts together various projects that usually last an album, only to fizzle out soon after. Most of these releases feature a few standout songs at best, followed by an album’s worth of OK material. Will Dirty Shirley pass the test?
With an opener as strong as “Here Comes the King”, I sure think so. Jelusic sounds like a dead ringer for the late, great Ronnie James Dio on this moody track. Complimented by Lynch’s plodding Iommi-esque riffage, this sounds like one of the doomier Dio era Sabbath songs. “Sign of the Southern Cross” comes to mind. This is followed by “Dirty Blues” which is reminiscent of another legendary act, Deep Purple. The grit and anger of Jelusic’s voice on the previous track transforms into a soulful swagger not unlike David Coverdale.
As the album goes on, it is clear that Jelusic is the star. Sure Lynch is still a guitar god, but we’ve known that for almost 40 years now. Jelusic has the potential to make an even bigger name for himself than he has already as he’s currently touring with Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It also feels Lynch serves more as a backdrop for Jelusic’s powerhouse vocals than a compliment to them. There are some exceptions. Lynch delivers high octane solos on “I Disappear” and “Higher”, but these are about the only redeeming qualities of these tracks which are too modern sounding for my taste.
The other tracks I particularly enjoyed were “Cold” and “Escalator to Purgatory”. “Cold” boasts the same Purple inspired funk as “Dirty Blues”. “Escalator to Purgatory” sees Lynch delivering a dark, heavy riff on the verses that’s sure to get heads banging.
In the event Dirty Shirley sticks around to become a full blown band, there is potential for growth from good to great. There’s no shortage of talent between Jelusic and Lynch. I just feel this release would’ve been stronger as an EP as opposed to an almost hour long album.
5 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Lynch Mob, Whitesnake, Last in Line