Drop the top, throw on some shades and roll up the finest Cali greens you got: Dirty Heads are back to fade your day with its first single, “Rescue Me”, from a series of EP’s dropping this year. Riding shotgun is a brand new music video to go along with it and it’s just the sunny, sandy-beach vibe you’d expect from these seasoned west coast vets.
If you’re any level of a DH fan, you probably couldn’t get enough of the band’s eighth studio album Midnight Control, helping it rack up well over 35 million streams since its release in 2022. I think it’s safe to say it was more than a crowd-pleaser, yeah? I have a strong feeling that Dirty Heads co-founders Jared Watson and Duddy B. could sense the people wanted more, and they’ll get just that! The upcoming albums will feature songs written and recorded during the Midnight Control era, so I can only assume every one of them is going to contain actual fire. Three total will be released throughout the year supported by a tour, but for now we get to taste the future with “Rescue Me”.
The video, housed inside of a low contrast, fully monochrome setting, draws you in with the heavenly view of the tops of a couple palm trees, slowly zooming out until the entire beach can be seen with Jared and Duddy standing there cross-armed ready to deliver the goods. As the tune starts, the lyrics hit your ears and you can’t help but take notice of a very familiar cadence to Jared’s voice — there is an undeniable nod to legendary SoCal rockers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and their track Dani California (I can’t get enough of these mash-ups!)
“’Rescue Me’ is our ode to California and we thought it would be rad to flip a Red Hot Chili Peppers hook. Not only did they influence us but they are one of the most influential and defining bands ever to come out of Cali. So it was a no brainer. It just felt right.” says Watson.
As the video plays on, your eyes are treated with smooth visuals of ocean surf and swells, swaying palm trees in a fast moving haze, dusty deserts and many other representations of the Golden State that remind these boys of home. Despite being a black-and-white video, you can see every vivid color depicted in the scene on whatever screen is in front of your face. Wildlife and conservationist filmmaker, Jay Teegardin, is half of the creative mind behind this zen-filled production, right beside “Dirty J” himself. Together they have done a wonderful job at helping you transcend from wherever you may be physically, to the herbaceous, sun-filled oasis they’re from. There is a very somber delivery by the two, however it’s not a depressing mood; it makes me think more of seriousness, a deep feeling for the words they’re singing, a formal love song to their land.
“This song is about the spirit of California and the influence she’s had on us as human beings. The beach, the desert, and the mountains, all available within the same day, waiting with open arms to feed your soul.” explains Watson.
The message is direct: Home is where the heart is, it’s where you can recharge and feel like yourself again. When home just happens to be Huntington Beach, how could you not want to write a poem expressing your devotion to its impact on who you are as a person? It’s a chill love vibe, and I’m starving for more.
The first of the three collections, Midnight Control Sessions: Night 2, is going to feature special guests singing along, remixes and unreleased original songs for your listening pleasure. Expect to have access to the next piece of Dirty Heads gold on April 14th, released via Allen Kovac’s Better Noise Music.
Pop in your earbuds and get lost in this California dream!
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Disclaimer: All views presented in this album review are those of the reviewer and not necessarily those of Top Shelf Music.
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