The Dustys, Sticky Blood

The Dustys’ Sticky Blood is a six-song EP with a somewhat whimsical feel from a garage/psychedelic/folk band formed in Arlington, VA. The entire EP contains introspective lyrics over fairly upbeat music, which lends itself to a more somber sound occasionally. It would’ve fit in well with some of the ’90s music that was slightly overlooked by the mainstream due to all the hype over grunge and dance music. The songs are long, for the most part, but never boring because much happens between the beginning and end in each.

There’s an instrumental introduction, which starts with ambient, distant-sounding guitars and builds into some drawn-out synthesizers. Next “Dangerous Little Signs” almost reminds me of Fugazi’s “Life and Limb,” with the two singers’ overlapping soft vocals and almost-creepy guitar melody, but not quite. The lead singer’s voice does contain a hint of vibrato similar to Ian Mackaye’s, though. The title track has a neat, though short, swelling synth part over an interesting organ line, and if you don’t listen carefully to the delayed annunciation at the end of the repeated “You’re cracked,” it sounds like “You’re crap.”

“Alice Anders” makes me think of Blur, only because of the odd rhythm and tone the vocalist uses for the singing. The lyrics in “Little Red Fireballs” are almost indiscernible, as it carries an underwater-like sound — until it gets to the chorus, which is clear as day: “I’ve gotta find them all / each little red fireball / and put them back together again / and we could be together again.” “Exit” brings the work to a nice conclusion by continuing the mystical feel, with a lighter song containing a circular snyth part and simple guitars following the melody, and a promise near the end: “I’ll do my best / not to regret / the time that we spent.”

What I particularly like about this band is that I have trouble comparing them to anyone. Their sound is unique in that each instrument carries a tune which doesn’t sound familiar, with nice layering providing very subtle background parts and non-cheesy words, plus the right amount of sentiment that doesn’t come off hackneyed. The bass really stands out at certain times, in a way that doesn’t weigh down the song or take over, which is nice.

The songs are so well-constructed, it’s obvious to me that they spent a good deal of time putting each one together and going back over them to add more. Some influences they list are T-Rex, David Bowie, The Beatles, The Zombies, Syd Barret, The Beach Boys, and The Kinks, but I personally think they sound fairly modern by comparison to those artists. I’d suggest them to anyone who is fond of a rich, full sound that might take a few listens to wrap your head around.