Something live, organic, colourful and groovy – a sixties surf rock essence brought to life by an ensemble of lifelong musicians and a collection of fresh, catchy original tunes. The mighty Frank Migliorelli & The Dirt Nappers launch their fifth studio album this summer, with the nine new tracks of Abnormal Conditions.
Featuring members of the iconic E Street Band and The Avett Brothers, plus a guest appearance from songwriter Marshall Crenshaw, Abnormal Conditions is a collaborative burst of rock and roll euphoria, and was passionately recorded in just two days, at Rhinebeck’s The Clubhouse (NY).
The project fires into action with the brilliantly infectious jam Take The Wheel, and continues to deliver a vintage pop and rock vibe throughout that’s synonymous with Frank Migliorelli and The Dirt Nappers.
Smooth guitar riffs, energetic vocals, harmonies and honky-tonk keys line a soundscape guided by live drums and bass, as Frank Migliorelli & The Dirt Nappers take full control of the creative performance space.
As we move into Year Of Living Dangerously, the mood softens briefly, a sultry funk set-up with bright keys and another timeless rock and roll melody presenting longer form scenes, musings and moments, which build towards a cool and bluesy hook. The versatility is well-placed at this early stage, but the sound, the voice in both lyric and tone, maintains the clear identity of the album.
She’s Been Waiting Forever follows with even softer sentiments – whispered vocals and plenty of space, a quiet looping riff, and a gorgeous dynamic feature from Tania Elizabeth – resulting in something of a country pop breakaway, before the distortion and harmonica of Michigan presents the album’s leading single and an absolute anthem of a memorable highlight. We’re closer to the Eagles than the Stones for this track, and it’s a beautiful moment, with powerful scenes of nostalgia, and a hypnotic resolve that keeps you coming back.
Upbeat sixties rock takes hold for Ever Since You Went Away, a song that counters its positive bounce with a heartbroken story of loss and longing. Then with Fire Road, Frank Migliorelli & The Dirt Nappers offer a slick blues-rock aura, with a fresh lower vocal tone and smart, sharp guitar refrains. This impassioned track is a definite highlight, and a personal favourite for its blending of the uncertain and the upbeat; the gritty narration and the sultry swagger of the groove.
After this, the band let things settle and simmer for a while, as The Rain Will Always Fall On This Side of The Road welcomes a quietly contemplative poem and performance that’s calming, thoughtful, melancholic yet comforting in its humanity, romance, and realism.
“When you come from these streets, you never forget…”
The bounce returns to follow, with She’ll Wait To Hear The Heartbeat adding a kind of Beach Boys bravado and earworm to the playlist, before This Whiskey Won’t Burn surprisingly brings things to a fearlessly mellow, introspective and near-acoustic finish.
Frank’s voice is charming here, solemn and unsure, drawn out and delicate, and the music joins in well. The song is aptly designed to feel like a final glass of whiskey during those late-night moments of regret and reflection, and this looping vocal statement and rasp, the rising ache of the delivery, all feels incredibly poignant, and wraps up the project in a way that emotionally lingers, and likely keeps you coming back to revisit the highs and lows of Abnormal Conditions.
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