@muddydfws

Album Review:  Muddy Summers and The Dirty Field Whores – Seeing Seeds

by Laura Taylor

They’re back! With a brand new album and a slight line-up change, Muddy Summers and The Dirty Field Whores come storming into the room with a fistful of hope, anger and revitalising songs. The newest Whore, 18 year old Leechelle Dennett, was plunged into the happy chaos in May, replacing Ren Stedman, who left for health reasons. 

The opening track is a roar of spoken word, pointing out hypocrisies on the music scene when it comes to female artists, and (shock horror) middle-aged female artists at that. It dares us all to take up shameless space and be unafraid of our humanity. 

With commentaries on such diverse topics as organised religion, contemporary dating and its downfalls, narcissistic male arrogance and the depressingly ongoing fight against patriarchal oppression, several of the tracks are re-releases of old classics with a freshly-washed face on them.

As per previous albums, this one is a smorgasbord of engaging musical arrangements, from acapella to full-blown Gypsy folk, from jaunty melodies to warning shots, and on the final track especially, one of the catchiest most uplifting  songs you’ll hear this year.

Once again, this album is completely DIY.  From recording to mixing, producing to printing, and mastered by one Dave Milligan, it proves that you don’t need the likes of a controlling soulless big name record label to steal your creativity and pennies, you really can just put it out there yourself.

In a nutshell, you’ll laugh, you’ll roar, you’ll singalongawhores, all with two fingers in the air and a renewed sense of optimism.

Lizzie Morris – Strings and vocals

Aimee Bee – Cajon and vocals

Leechelle Dennett – Guitar and vocals

Gail Something-Else – Double bass, vocals, piano.

Self-released on 19 Jan 2023.

It is available from their shop.