Dirty Streets: Who’s Gonna Love You Review

Memphis-based power trio Dirty Streets are a rock & blues group with a distinctive twist of funk, soul, and country. Justin Toland (guitar/vocals), Thomas Storz (bass) and Andrew Denham (drums) are responsible for this compelling wall of sound that combines these different genres homogeneously and quite satisfactorily and transports us back to the glorious, golden years of rock music. Refining and furthering this approach, the group has recently released their latest studio effort: Who’s Gonna Love You.

Having been originally conceived in 2019, but postponed given the pandemic’s complicated context, Who’s Gonna Love You is a fiercely efficient collage of sound, soaked in the appeal of America’s roots music, from low-down dirty blues to cozy country. Produced by the Grammy-award-winning Matt Ross-Spang, the album focuses on bringing to the forefront the classic elements of rock, soul, and blues and invigorating them with a modern, utterly engaging stamp. Released by the indie label Blue Élan Records, the whole affair is elevated by the high-quality production and mixing, which results in a clean yet raw sound, and although nothing on the album is exactly brand-new, the group’s passionate and clinical delivery compensates for any possible shortcoming in that aspect.

The album is set in motion by the muscular riffs and garage rock-like aura of the opener “Alright”, an upbeat number that expresses the power of remaining positive in the face of adversity. “Who’s Gonna Love You” and its overall feel wanders into soft rock territory, which nicely contrasts with the vocals still as intense as they can be, and “Poison” is a tortured soul/blues number with many layers of emotion.

“Blinded” returns with the hard rock assault in great fashion, with Toland brilliantly mirroring the macho vocal gimmicks of the likes of Robert Plant and Paul Rodgers. On the other hand, “Not That Man” is a country-infused number with a gorgeous chorus. “Bitter End” is another hard rocker on the album, and perhaps the best of the batch, thanks to the sheer power of its steel-melting main riff. Then, “Sunday” finishes things off greatly with its funk rock groove and catchy vocals.

Who’s Gonna Love You is an album that brings the best that classic rock can offer, combined with the very own modern imprint of Dirty Streets, which, as showcased by this release, are far from mere nostalgia merchants. Undoubtedly, the album’s raw, unadulterated rock soundscape will please both old and young generations of fans.

The Review: 8/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Alright
– Poison
– Blinded
– Not That Man
– Bitter End

The Big Hit

– Bitter End