Dirty Three's self-titled second album, released in 1995, opens with an absolute epic, the 10 minute blaster Indian Love Song. It's fairly atypical in that it's less reliant on Warren Ellis' violin, instead providing a showcase for some serious guitar work by Mick Turner.
Following a peak like this is not easy. Better Go Home Now is a gloriously heavy guitar and violin workout, all done in less than 4 minutes! Odd Couple is moodier, Ellis swapping violin for accordion. Kim's Dirt is the centrepiece, a long, almost ambient, trance-like piece where not an awful lot happens.
After the violin swoops and squalls of Everything's F**ked, The Last Night saddles up with harmonica and heads off to the dusky outback before the final track, the blood and thunder of Dirty Equation, where the band really cut loose. It's stuffed full of pounding drums, frenzied guitar and crazed violin and is utterly brilliant. This album is definitely a good place to start with this band.
