Dirty Three
Ocean Songs

A violin. A guitar. A drum. Three instruments, yet they are enough, indeed, more than enough. Because nothing else is needed to express the essence of any emotion, if these are played impeccably and passionately as in this album.

The Dirty Three are a well-deservedly recognized Australian project, among the most important and appreciated in the vast universe of post-rock, a genre that lends itself to practically infinite interpretations, from the slow build-ups of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, to the straightforward rhythm changes of Slint, to the delicate refinement of Talk Talk. Yet, among the giants of this genre, Dirty Three have also managed to carve out a prominent place, thanks to an artistic maturity achieved in the second half of the '90s, after the experience of their first two albums and fully exploiting the richness derived from collaborating with artists such as Nick Cave, Beck, John Cale. Horse Stories from 1996 is an album that showcases all the group's talents, who, following this success, in 1998, challenged themselves with an ambitious concept with a marine theme, "Ocean Songs."

The album opens with “Sirena,” which serves as the prelude to what will be the recurring motifs of this work: the percussion drags slowly accompanying a heart-wrenching violin, while the guitar is, only temporarily, in the background. The sound seems to come from afar, veiled in a soft atmosphere. But as the minutes pass, you are catapulted into the vortex: the instruments intertwine, developing a rapid crescendo and leaving the listener to ponder, melancholically. Similar sensations are evoked by the subsequent “The Restless Waves,” a piece that gives me the idea of a man who, alone, goes for a solitary walk on a late autumn afternoon, stopping to watch the waves crashing on the rocks, again, and again, while the wind stirs the waters and the man’s hair and clothes. Nine minutes have already passed, but we hardly noticed, because this album slips away just like that, it is like a background for our reflection, as different images project themselves in front of our eyes. Somehow, “Distant Shores” brings to my mind scenes of a childhood now distant, past, but forever kept within me, with all its places, its scents, while the three instruments, always them, always and only them, build a slow and sorrowful plot upon which the majestic moments of greater intensity are erected.

There is a risk that this will become a "song-by-song" review, but I will let those who listen to the album for the first time be carried away by themselves, thus discovering their favorite songs, because there are no low-quality songs. Following a unique thread that permeates all the tracks, the work unfolds over 66 minutes of incredible beauty and refinement. Melancholy, sadness, and a general sense of nostalgia predominate, but there are also hints of optimism and a quiet, pleasant sense of balance. An album that suits whatever state of mind the listener may have, capable of adapting to it, or changing it, as in a catharsis.