Dirty Work – In The West End

Food Waste Records

 

Formed in 2014, Toronto based Dirty Work is already up to their second full-length! Following up on 2017’s debut LP “Out For You”, the Canadian Oi!-punks released their sophomore album “In The West End” late 2018 on both CD and LP through Food Waste Records, who were also responsible for the vinyl release of the Canadians’ debut. Time for a review!

 

Now with that being said, “In The West End” is actually my introduction to these Hogtown hooligans, but a welcoming introduction indeed! With twelve tracks total, the band delivers that crude, classic Oi!-punk sound by mixing fast-paced mayhem with boisterous sing-alongs and raw lead-vocals, somewhat reminding me of a fusion between British bands such as One Way System and Infa Riot, and American bands like The Wretched Ones and The Oi! Scouts – good stuff!

 

A bit of a surprise though, because when I took the record out of its mailer, I wasn’t too impressed by the artwork. But you know what they say, never judge a record by its cover – because songs like “Attack Attack”, “Hogtown Hooligans”, “The Kids (Know What’s Going On)”, “Let’s Hit The Road” (featuring Paul Sorrels of The Virus), “Steel Toes”, “Brother” and title-track “In The West End” are proper fun for punks and skins alike.

 

Finishing off with a one on one cover of The Strike’s classic anthem “Gang Warfare”, Dirty Work delivers an album that is rough around the edges, but easily played two or three times in a row. I like it!