Tom Lynch

Brooklyn's Dirty on Purpose has a fantastic debut on its hands, titled "Hallelujah Sirens," a lovely collection of shoegazer pop. They're often compared to My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain, but they are even more similar to when Yo La Tengo is at its brightest and most energized. The follow-up to the solid debut EP "Sleep Late for a Better Tomorrow," "Hallelujah Sirens" is elegantly constructed into guitar-driven mayhem, never dull or too dreamy and, sometimes, absolutely gorgeous, like on second track "Your Summer Dress," which features an elongated intro of delayed guitars and space-rock timing (or lack thereof) before falling into a gently executed vocal harmony. Even when the band gets aggressive and overdrives the distortion, it's woven perfectly amongst the big, lush cushion. "Light Pollution" is beautiful too, with its "Take the long way home/Take the wrong roads" chorus. I can't wait to see this in person.

Dirty on Purpose plays March 29 at Schubas, 3159 North Southport, (773)525-2508, at 9pm. $10> (2007-03-27)

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NONFICTION REVIEW
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