Bozeman, Montana-based act King Ropes have an impressive debut album with Dirt, a showcase of frontman/guitarist Dave Hollier’s penchant for moody, engrossing tracks. Opener “Dogleg Boy” shows this well, with various textures – from guitar distortion to twinkling keys taking lead – and hooks emerging clearly. Thematically, the track and album speaks to transition and the desire for hands-on work. “After years of working with my hands, I was at a place in my life with a severe lack of dirt under my fingernails,” Hollier explains. “So I guess that calling it Dirt is a bit of an incantation, hoping to attract more of it back into my life. Musically, I felt pretty strongly about balancing out the pretty, sweet elements with the raw, gritty stuff, both in the sounds and the lyrics.”
Montana is Hollier’s home state, though the album’s creative process began in his longtime home of Brooklyn. The project also had some recording sessions in Los Angeles. So yeah, this process has been all over the country – but it’s no worse for wear. The focus throughout is strong, as evidenced by the album in full, below: