As a band Chicago’s Down & Dirty have an average age of just 18 years old- yet the influences they display on new album “Taste of Rock & Roll” are bands that had their heyday long before the boys were even born, yet they have created a record that could perfectly slot straight back in to that era.

Vocalist Majyk has a touch of Mark Slaughter to his voice and musically the band have a Slaughter, Pretty Boy Floyd, early Poison feel to them- i.e big sounding party rock. Remaining band members- guitarist L.A, drummer Joey The Kidd and Ryan “9-Volt” Tyler on bass- fit together like they have been touring as a band for years.

Tracks like “R U Ready”, “Wild Child” and “Get It Right” deserve to be played loud, however, the album’s trump card is the superb cover of John Mellencamp’s “Hurts So Good” which the band make their own. To complete that late ‘80’s feel there is, of course, a ballad and this is in the form of the piano led “Fallin’”.

Down & Dirty are a refreshing alternative to what else is out there at the moment and well worth checking out.