Product Review

2011 release from the Detroit Garage rockers. Nearly 10 years after their critically-acclaimed album Ultraglide in Black helped kick-start a renewed interest in all things Detroit and Rock 'n' Roll, The Dirtbombs release this de facto companion piece. Where Ultraglide was a covers collection of '60s and '70s Soul gems, Party Store is an assortment of live-band interpretations of classic Detroit Techno music of the '80s and early '90s. The subject matter runs the gamut from materialistic future-disco braggadocio ("Sharevari," originally by a Number of Names) to cold, post-industrial isolation ("Alleys of Your Mind," originally by Cybotron) through the instrumental optimism of a worldwide house classic ("Strings of Life," originally by Derrick May). All these themes encapsulate the climate of Detroit both now and at the time of their initial release. Let it be said clearly: this record addresses both the past and the future of Detroit.