Dirt by Jim E. Brown

For fans of New Order, The Smiths, The Cure, outsider alternative rock, and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, Dirt by Jim E. Brown serves up a dazzling view into the life of an up-and-coming pop sensation. Born on September 10th 2001 which makes him an astounding nineteen years old, Jim E. Brown expresses wisdom beyond his years with deeply personal songwriting set to a backdrop of endearingly bizarre new-wave-adjacent instrumental performances. Giving us a glimpse into a life plagued by many degenerative diseases including most principally a debilitating case of alcoholism allows this album to skirt past typical criticisms of upstart pop singer-songwriters from Brown’s native United Kingdom, comforting us in our own vulnerabilities by confronting common hardships head-on. Going hand-in-hand with other songs which explore the brave fringes of mental health research and instrumentals which show us a new, more experimental side of classic synth and guitar sounds, these moments of pure honesty prove to us we can all create something bang on, even if things are a bit shit these days really.