The Dirty Nil are not the kind of band to bury the lead and they certainly don’t on their fourth full length, Free Rein to Passions. Doing exactly what it says on the tin, this is the Ontario trio going out of their way to clear themselves of any overthinking that could come with the success of 2021’s Fuck Art. Looking to take it back to their roots, this is the loveable Nil at their most wild and free and which comes with its own positives and slight drawbacks.
The title itself is a fantastic summary of this particular album. Not wanting to colour their output whether intentionally or subliminally due to expectations, this is back to basics Nil, not that they ever stayed too far from that anyways. The fact of the matter is that this band do simple better than the vast majority of bands out there. Their biggest appeal has always been how real everything sounds and feels and this approach only adds to that. Not only does the album feel like a physical tape that someone has recorded onto and passed to you, their decision to approach the album in this way only dials up the appreciation.
There’s a few things that make this band special that are really highlighted by this direction. The summary would be that they feel like the band everyone dreams of being in with their mates after hearing their first pop punk song and asking their parents about clearing out the garage. The charisma in this band elevates everything they do so whether it’s a rock star moment like Celebration or the slacker energy of Undefeated, you want to be doing it with them.
The charisma extends to the guitars as well. You can tell how much they love playing riffs and rocking out, there’s so much passion in it and they’re dialled up really loud in the mix which always helps. It’s always relatable and feasible but at the same time, a world class level of songwriting and performances. They’re the best version of a local band. Stupid Jobs is a clear contender for picking the band when they’re so far in their bag, you’re having to take things out one by one to find them again. It’s a slacker/skater/punk anthem that feels so effortless for them at this point.
The more relaxed, jamming in the living room feel that Free Rein To Passions has does bring out a lot of what the Nil do best but there is one key trick in their locker that doesn’t feel as prevalent. In going out of their way to not deliver a straight follow up to Fuck Art, it doesn’t have the hit-factory approach that the last record did. Though again, it only makes them more loveable that they would go this way, it’s lacking a few undeniable earworms, the likes of Doom Boy and Blunt Force Concussion that would keep it on repeat for months to come. There are still lots of catchy moments, as mentioned, they do simple incredibly well but in terms of track-for-track, 2021’s offering definitely has some first round draft picks.
Free Rein to Passions may be the first release in the discography of The Dirty Nil where it doesn’t feel like a noticeable step-up from last time. It’s also only going to make their fanbase admire them even more by making the clear choice to kick back and do exactly what feels right to them. It may not have the straight home runs that Fuck Art did but with how effortlessly cool they make everything sound, it’s still packed with good times and loud guitar jams to blast all summer long.
Free Rein to Passions is out on May 26th via Dine Alone records. Physical copies can be purchased via their online store.
