Any Port in a Storm

The Dirty Heads comfortably combine hip-hop and reggae with somewhat lesser dollops of conventional rock songwriting and arrangements on Any Port in a Storm. While those are the three main styles the group blend, they don't always use all three idioms in the same song, some tracks coming close to being straight hip-hop, reggae, and/or rock. Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan are even referenced in "Believe." It's an unusual mixture, but more clever than exciting, without standout tunes or lyrics. Topics for the latter include statements of mild musical and social outsiderdom, declarations of pride for sticking to their principles, and the occasional nod to romance. A fair amount of profanity is used, but hardly in an aggressive manner, almost as if it's running a little counter to their generally upbeat natures. Billy Preston appears on keyboards in one of the last sessions he recorded before his death. ~ Richie Unterberger