The L.A. Maybe - Dirty Damn Tricks Deluxe Edition

Album review by; Kayleigh

Hard rock n rollers The L.A. Maybe are set to release a deluxe version of their album 'Dirty Damn Tricks' on the August 26th 2022. The five-piece band originally released the debut album in March of 2021 which contained ten tracks and the new deluxe version treats listeners with six new songs to consume.

Recently the New Wave of Classic Rock movement has been becoming more popular and there are a lot of bands emerging with similar sort of sounds. I think The L.A Maybe are one of the stand out bands to come from this movement. There's definitely a strong hint of AC/DC within the groups sound which isn't surprising as vocalist Alvi Robinson actually auditioned to play with AC/DC when Brian Johnson had to take a break. Robinson became one of the four people who actually got to audition with the band before Axl Rose got the position. The L.A. Maybe may have obvious influences from artists such as AC/DC, Guns n Roses and Van Halen but they also draw influence from almost every style of music and this shows in their album 'Dirty Damn Tricks'.

'Mr. Danger' the mighty track that kicks off the album shows exactly why Alvi Robinson would have been a great pick to stand in with AC/DC. The track could easily belong somewhere like 'Back In Black' but it also has a modern groove that fits into that new wave sound. Much like other songs that are contained within the original ten-track release this one has this upbeat blues rock vibe that will have you bopping along in no time.

With second track 'Sucker Punch' The L.A. Maybe change up the pace a little delivering more of a fast riff fuelled piece. This one is a personal favourite of mine on 'Dirty Damn Tricks' and between the fast aggression, catchy chorus and loud guitars 'Sucker Punch' has all the elements to be a much-loved track. Another song on 'Dirty Damn Tricks' that has the same sort of fast yet bluesy feeling riffs is 'She's Reckless'. This is one that seems very modern but still has the nostalgia factor, especially vocally. 'She's Reckless' is a song I could 100% see myself dancing along with at a festival or gig.

Another two tracks I particularly enjoyed from the original ten are 'Peace of Mind' and 'When I'm Gone'. These two seem to be a bit more emotion filled than others within the album. 'Peace of Mind' has a light-hearted instrumental accompanied with really nice melodic vocals and overall, just feels very hopeful, as if looking for something better. 'When I'm Gone' on the other hand is more of a ballad you could imagine singing along with at the top of your lungs. The emotions of this song are very obvious and well delivered lyrically and through the vocals.

Having mentioned the original versions of 'Peace of Mind' and 'When I'm Gone' I also have to talk about how well these songs are shown off in this new deluxe 'Dirty Damn Tricks'. Both tracks are given an acoustic version that give them a new depth. Especially with 'When I'm Gone' which really gives the listener a chance to focus on the strong and emotion filled vocals. There is also an acoustic version of 'Oh Sugar' which has the same kind of feel-good energy that is contained within the original bluesy piece.

The L.A. Maybe also show off two demos within the new deluxe album. 'Peace of Mind' which feels more hard rock in its demo form and 'She's Reckless' which lets the guitar work stand out.

Closing their deluxe album, The L.A. Maybe have an acoustic track 'The Long Road', which the band have also recently released a lyric video for. Much like many other songs on 'Dirty Damn Tricks' 'The Long Road' has this happy energy to it and a nice dose of nostalgia. Again, with this one being acoustic it really gives the listener a chance to fully enjoy every individual element in a sort of chilled out manner. 'The Long Road' for me feels like driving home to your family after a long day and is a really nice track to end on. The Deluxe tracks are recorded with Goliath on vocals,

Having a deluxe version of 'Dirty Damn Tricks' gives fans of The L.A. Maybe a chance to dive further into the band's sound and musical creations. Having the new acoustic and demo tracks also gives the songs more depth than they had before. Even if you haven't heard 'Dirty Damn Tricks' before or even heard of The L.A. Maybe I would recommend giving this one a listen, there's something in this piece for every classic and modern rock lover to enjoy.

4 out of 5

Pre order Dirty Damn Tricks Deluxe Edition here