Finesse –  DirtyKeyz Duo (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Okay, before I get into this review, full disclosure time. I’m not a big fan of covers, I think it is at best treading musical water when you could as an artist be striking out into the cooler, less disturbed and less populated territory. I have heard all the arguments, that playing covers is how you learn your craft, if it’s good enough for the Stones etc. I get all of that, I just think that it is a bit of a wasted opportunity. You have a platform, use it to create something. The only justification could be if you  bring something new to the song. Thankfully DirtyKeyz Duo does just that.

The original drips with typical (Bruno) Marsian pop-funk…or should that be Martian pop-funk… a sound clash of beats and grooves writ large in Day-Glo musical hues. This interpretation brings something different to the song. Understatement and restraint. Here the duo reinterpret the song as a sophisticated slice of uptown, lounge-jazz, a gentle weave of clean piano lines and complementary harmonies, more than enough to give the song a new lease of life without going over old musical ground.

At this point DirtyKeyz Duo have a decision to make. Are they satisfied to follow this template and pursue a career giving people what they want and probably making a very good living doing so, or do they go their own way. The skills are obviously there, that much is clear, but what if they subverted expectation and became ambient jazz fiends or outsider pop mavericks? They may not make the money but the legacy could be amazing. Crossroads are fascinating places to be, and this is a band that could go any number of ways. It just depends which devil they chose to sell their soul to I guess.