Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
We are more than just a line in the sand, the choice between the devilish and the angelic is not confined to a stereo type or the restrictive views of judge, jury and the executioner of the fountain pen and typewriter. We all have the capacity to be both The Divine And The Dirty in this game we stumble through, it is just the matter of someone else’s perspective to see which side we fall upon.
The Divine And The Dirty, it is how you fight when the odds are against you that seems to be the definition for some, get taken for a fool too often and it is no wonder that someone can break and strike back, with words, with deeds; make someone out to be a saint, put them on a pedestal so high that their feet don’t touch the ground and their souls panic with the giddiness of the height, then don’t be surprised if they rebel a little, if they push back and wish to speak to the Devil himself for a while.
It is the duality of the human spirit that is seen in all great works and one that The Kris Barras Band capture with stunning effect in their new album.
Perhaps it should be seen as that the more a person lives, truly experiences all that the world can throw at them, the highs, the deep down passionate lows, the more they converse with both facets of their soul and their ability, art reflects this challenge thrown down by the gods and the mortal who wish to see a person elevated and chained to that position.
How you fight is often the measure of the person, how you sing of victory and loss is perhaps a better indication of the soul and for Kris Barras, the triumph of the now is great and one he deals with complex humility and thought.
In songs such as Propane, I Don’t Owe Nobody Nothing, Lovers Or Losers, Stitch Me Up, Blood On Your Hands and the heartbreaking but emotionally beautiful Watching Over Me, The Kris Barras Band allow the adrenaline to pump furiously, it takes over the veins and stirs the blood to a steaming foam of cool precise hits to the listener’s heart, kick starting to feel again, to enjoy the knowledge that comes from conversing and learning from both The Divine And The Dirty.
The Kris Barras Band’s The Divine And The Dirty is out now via Provogue/Mascot Label Group.
Ian D. Hall