Dirty Vegas have an admirable durability. “No it’s never too late, to believe in something,” sings Steve Smith on opener ‘Let The Night’, and this couplet applies to all those – yours truly included – who might have written the band off in recent years. Photograph is their fourth album, coming 13 years after the success of the likes of ‘Days Go By’ – and it actually surpasses anything they’ve done before in terms of convincing songwriting, rock solid production and – crucially – positivity. Running through the album is a breezy approach that calls to mind the likes of pop geniuses Miike Snow and Empire Of The Sun, without ever imitating those bands, while the production goes back to the duo’s roots in the clubs and has a Balearic feel to it, especially in the saxophone-led title track and an extremely credible cover of Duran Duran’s ‘Save A Prayer’. Smith’s vocals are better than they’ve ever been, confident and relaxed, while the choruses have convincing hooks and lyrics. This album is a late burst of summer, and it comes as a great tonic to see the band peaking like this.
5 out of 5
Reviewed by Ben Hogwood
{http://soundcloud.com/dvisionrecords/sets/dirty-vegas-photograph-out-now}
