Since the release of its 2011 debut, reviews of Philadelphia rockers Low Cut Connie’s studio efforts have almost always included a line about how this band was meant to be seen live. While the kinetic energy of the group’s concerts cannot be overstated, extra special care is given to make LCC’s recorded output just as dynamic. With material honed to razor-edge sharpness thanks to those workhorse tours, Dirty Pictures (Part 1) is the perfect appetizer to the boozy, bluesy world of Low Cut Connie. The first sound on the album is Adam Weiner’s trusty upright piano, Shondra, woozily setting the scene for the battle cry that is “Revolution Rock N’ Roll.” On fan favorites “Dirty Water” and the barn-burning take on Prince’s “Controversy,” Weiner nearly leaps out of the speakers to give each listener a sweaty embrace. Guitarist James Everhart contributes some gasoline-soaked twang on “Am I Wrong?” and “Death And Destruction” is a fire-and-brimstone raveup. Closing with the elegiac “Forever” and the fierce “What Size Shoe?” Dirty Pictures (Part 1) sets the stage for a new era of Connie domination.
—Eric Schuman
