Dirty on Purpose: Like Bees EP

Dirty on Purpose’s new EP offers more of the same drudge-pulled but appealing shoegaze pop that they’ve been writing for a few years now. Causing a minor ripple with “Light Pollution” and their debut Hallelujah Sirens, the band garnered a PLUG nomination last year… but in the fickle world of the eternal turnover the memory has faded. Well, the Like Bees EP may re-spark some of that interest. The respun, low-fi version of Smashing Pumpkins’ style alternative rock is somewhat in vogue now, this sense of muscle restrained and dampened by some greater force — the whole recording process, perhaps. The only really new track here, incidentally, is the closing one, an epic instrumental number that’s a comforting glimpse that the group’s future is well assured. The female backing vocals here add a great deal of character, especially on “Like Bees”, a nuanced, swelling piece that is entirely compelling. The EP overall is something of a grab-bag (a b-side here, a cover version there) and lacks the focus of a full length. But it’s enough to keep our appetite whetted for the sophomore album.