eMusic Review
Though they employ the same rigid guitars as bands like Interpol and the Chameleons, New York's Dirty on Purpose have a slightly sunnier disposition. Sleep Late for a Better Tomorrow recalls the halcyon days of indiepop, with the kind of charming melodies on which Sarah Records built a tiny, bashful empire. They don't over-sing or oversell, letting the big choruses come as natural conclusions rather than as forced exuberance. "Mind Blindness" moves slowly from crackling white noise through murmuring verse to joyous finale, recalling fellow New Yorkers My Favorite. By contrast, "Spider Eyes" attacks without warning with angry swipes of guitar and charging percussion. Sleep Late is a promising opening for a band savvy enough to mine the past and too smart to merely ape it.
