Another showcase of Houghton's many talents as Du Blonde
Can you think of an artist over the past decade who has released a quartet of great albums - each as good as, or better than, the last?
With Sniff More Gritty, Beth Jeans Houghton as Du Blonde achieves this feat.
Ever since the release of debut Welcome Back to Milk, Du Blonde's releases have been consistently excellent, with follow-up Lung Bread for Daddy moving into a darker, more compelling direction and third LP Homecoming a new high for the artist.
Which brings us on to Sniff More Gritty. Similar to Homecoming, the record is self-produced, slight in length and features a strong cast of guest vocalists.
It also flirts with a punk aesthetic while embracing Americana and even provides subtle humour in its production flourishes.
Overall, Sniff More Gritty is a brief whirlwind of powerful rock tracks featuring cutting lyrics and demands a larger audience than Du Blonde currently commands.
No less than 6 of the 12 tracks have been released as singles already, 4 of which in the more immediate lead-up to the album.
All are excellent, but 'Next Big Thing' featuring Skin from Skunk Anansie stands atop them all with the lyrics detailing some of the shocking things Du Blonde has been told by music industry bods over the years and Skin adding in some righteous vocal anger into the mix. This could sit very easily into a 'me too' playlist as an anthem for the movement.
Summoning her next hit: Du Blonde (photo credit: Du Blonde)
Sticking with the guest vocalists, Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace, joins Du Blonde for 'Solitary Individual' - a very specific riposte to a former housemate who was concerned about Houghton staying in a lot, delivered with punk gusto.
'TV Star' peels back the curtain of fame and what is lost in the process with tender vocals from Du Blonde. 'Blame' features enticing guitar to draw you in and listen in to the tale of turning into someone not truly yourself to please a lover. 'Yesterday' covers the process of moving on and a very pleasing fly-swatting sound to add emphasis to what is sung in the chorus.
'Dollar Coffee' is one of the most expansive songs with a wonderful piano-led bridge and Du Blonde singing in the style of Kate Bush, epic guitar throughout and lyrics concerning the struggles to be unconventional in a conventional world.
Sticking with the best tracks, it's quite the surprise to hear 'Radio Jesus' - the 2021 single featuring vocals from fellow North East musicians Paul Smith (of Maximo Park) and Ross Millard (of The Futureheads) - sneak into the back end of the tracklist. The refrain of 'I heard it on the radio, I saw it on the TV' is a rousing one, reaching a fever pitch when Smith and Millard fully join in the singalong.
The rest of the songs are also great, if only a shade less impressive than those mentioned, with Du Blonde the repeating the trick of delivering a fantastic album, as has become the norm since her breakout in 2015.
It may not offer too many musical surprises - albeit the ambition shown in the list of guest vocalists, production sheen and variety of instruments used enhances what has gone before - to those familiar with Du Blonde's work but, my word, her trademark sits comfortably in the higher echelons of what the world of rock has produced over the past decade.
A master of her guitar, a punchy lyricist, strong vocalist and a dab hand on the production desk, Du Blonde seems to have it all - and Sniff More Gritty is yet another showcase of all she has to offer.
Rating: 9/10
Sniff More Gritty is out on Friday (15 November) via Daemon T.V
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