When he’s not creating havoc as a Bad Seed Warren Ellis creates beautiful soundscapes with his mates Jim White and Mick Turner, under the moniker Dirty Three. Love Changes Everything is their first album since 2014’s Toward The Low Sun. Recorded at Headgap Studios in their home city of Melbourne, this collection of six tracks is intentionally as loose as a bag of jelly yet utterly magical to experience. For that is exactly what listening to these experimental freeform soundscapes is. An experience. Every little flicker and hum are detected and thrust to the forefront of the atmospherics these three wizards conjure.
Now, every track operates under the name ‘Love Changes Everything’, only distinguishable by their part names, so I’ll run with that for my review. Part I begins with what sounds like the band warming up over a crackling static hum as they fire up the guitar with some scratchy fidgeting like a child getting their hands on said instrument for the first time. Warren drips in some mournful violin (or viola, hereafter referred to as violin for simplicity) melodies to bring some form of order. When Jim White gets into his groove the whole thing switches into a hip swaying little ditty, and it all makes sense. Welcome to the world of Dirty Three, for the uninitiated. The unruly chaos of basic instruments makes me think of an instrumental version of Shellac and as the final moments jump to hyper speed that tag fits even more.
Part II finds a ghostly voice that is probably Warren’s violin, the way he treats his instrument, sighing over a heartbreaking piano. Jim takes on some freeform percussive flicks seemingly in denial of what is going on round him. Dirty Three specialise in soundtrack music for an unmade movie, for scenes that feature sweeping sands and staring into space. There are hooks in this unconventional music and once you get to know them, these spacious tunes make a lot more sense.
In Part III Warren’s violin (or is it a harmonica?) buzzes like a wasp in the window with a two-note siren drone. A delicately played piano ushers in whisps of warm air until Warren begins to play a beautiful solo section on the violin that winds and weaves. Jim’s drumming style is minimalist once again but played with a complexity that only a master could muster. Part IV is the highlight as alongside a loosely strummed guitar Warren Ellis aims to destroy the listener with some of the saddest violin playing ever committed to tape. Based on a primary set of notes that gently waft like long grass in a breeze, as the track flows Warren lets the melody wander so that it becomes almost unbearably melancholic. It is staggering how much emotion Dirty Three can invoke from the most minimalist playing.
For the duration of Part V Jim focuses on the harder parts of his kit for some insistent tapping while Warren opts for a more physical attack on his violin. Unlike the other tracks on the album this one raises the volume and decides that space is for fools as it builds up to a cacophonous finale. The downside of this is a reluctance to focus on melody but the dynamic element of the track is very much to the fore as it jumps about like a flea on a griddle.
Finally in Part VI Warren manages to make his violin sound like it’s being dragged in circles over an uneven floor with some scathing tones. Over this sound wash a shyly played piano tries to bring a little order as Jim panics with some skittery beats. Around the halfway mark of this ten minute jam guitar enters the fray for some snazzy noodling. The piano throws off the shackles encouraging everyone to party while the original droning violin can still be heard in the distance. Is this genius or just three old dudes messing about? You decide…
When I first purchased some Dirty Three CDs many moons ago, I don’t think my ability to appreciate this kind of music was at the same level as it is now. In a weird way, it’s probably my shift in focus to their kind of music that sculpted how my appreciation would widen. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I like their music more now than I did back then. Dirty Three don’t play by any rules, they’re primary intent, as far as I can make out, is to create music that they enjoy themselves. If others like it, great, as then they can play to packed venues, which is probably when they are at their best, allowing these already freeform recordings to wander. Love Changes Everything is an album I thoroughly enjoy listening to, but I need to be in the right zone to fully comprehend its subtle little nuances. As I said at the outset, when you’re ready to relax and absorb the sounds it is truly a magical experience.
