ANTI-FASHION -‘Dirt And Dust’ Album review

Every now and then, if you’re lucky, a new album comes along which stops you dead, grabs your attention, sounds fresh and original with a sound of its own and might prompt you to don a yellow cape and shout “Holy sh*t, Batman!” (or maybe that’s just me). Dirt And Dust’ is such an album, makes most superlatives redundant and is just all kinds of wonderful. 

If you’re not familiar with Anti-Fashion, they have been quite a low-key transatlantic rock and punk collaboration between the U.K. and U.S. musicians JJ Watt and Frank Meyer.

I first saw JJ Watt playing guitar with The Main Grains (a Wildhearts offshoot fronted by Danny McCormack and also featuring Ben Marsden on guitar) as special guest to Tyla’s Dogs D’amour a few days before Christmas in Edinburgh in 2017; while the Dogs are one of my favourite bands, on that night The Main Grains out-Wildhearted The Wildhearts and stole the show, after which I immediately bought their EP and ‘I’d Rather Be in California’ forced its way on to my running playlist (of mainly 80’s rock classics) and has been lodged in my brain ever since. After Danny temporarily re-joined The Wildhearts, The Main Grains folded and JJ went on to form and front the excellent The City Kids and may also be known to some of you through Thirteen Stars. 

During COVID-19 JJ was introduced to Frank Meyer who fronted the legendary LA punk band The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs (now active again), played guitar with Handsome Dick Manitoba (The Dictators), Wayne Kramer (MC5), FEAR, James Wilkinson (Iggy & the Stooges) and has also released a great album, ‘Motherf**kin’ Rock’n’Roll’, with Eddie Spaghetti (The Supersuckers) via which I was retrospectively introduced to much of his earlier music.  Not many musicians can say they have experienced that career.

JJ and Frank decided to collaborate online out of which they produced an album of Social Distortion covers for fun (‘A Bit of Distortion’) and released it under the Anti-Fashion name in 2021. 

Five years later Anti-Fashion are back with album number two. Eschewing covers for original material and with new recruits Rob Cass on vocals and Steve Ward on bass (both from the Midnight Dogs and contributing ideas they’d also been working on) and Kath Edmonds on drums (Kath & the Kicks, Rubella Ballet, StarRats and who had played on a track on their debut album) joining the fold.


While I’d enjoyed their debut collaboration, it had only hinted at what they might be capable of producing if creating some original material together. Being aware of their own respective output, my interest also only increased after Frank’s musically-diverse debut solo album, ‘Living Between the Lines’ and the punk and soul of the ‘Baby Dynamite’ single were both released last year.


So, no pressure … 


But, does ‘Dirt And Dust’ live up to my anticipation and expectation? Yes, absolutely. But, I would go further and say it far exceeds them and can only be described as ridiculously good. 


At a time when a lot of “new” music can sound same-y or derivative, and it’s easy to find yourself longing for something fresh and different, Anti-Fashion have fashioned (see what I did there?) an album which captures many influences and is laden with great moments and qualities, but without sounding just like another band doing the same as others. 


Switching and shapeshifting through musical styles and influences with ease, Anti-Fashion provide a heady and appealing fusion in sound and have created an album of urgent, raw, hook-filled and compelling rock’n’roll.


The debut single from, and opening song on the album, ‘Drag Me Down’, (not to be confused with the closely-named Social Distortion track, ‘Don’t Drag Me Down’, on their first album) sets the scene with raw guitars, drums and bass in a style which could have featured in their constituent bands’ output, but very quickly develops its own multi-layered identity through Rob Cass’s very distinctive vocal style. Sitting somewhere in style and sound between Brian Molko (Placebo), Brett Anderson (Suede), John Lydon (PIL), Julian Raymond (the criminally under-recognised Dear Mr. President) and Ed Roland (Collective Soul), Rob Cass’s clear and Alternative vocal provides the perfect counter-balance to the rawness of the music both on this song and throughout the album. Also lifting the songs throughout are the  regularly occurring gang background and harmony vocals provided by Frank, JJ and Kath which ensure melody is never far away or lost (also strangely making me think of ELO in places).


‘Let Love Rule’ (not to be confused with the Lenny Kravitz song) is nothing short of glorious; opening with an insanely infectious and upbeat guitar riff all over the song against the background of raw guitars and THAT distinctive voice, building verses and a big chorus are underpinned by driving bass and drums. After only a few days since I first heard it, the song has become a constant companion appearing in my head unprompted while driving, watching the World Cup on TV and as I’m waking in the morning. Be warned. 


Self-described in their PR as sounding like “Think Rolling Stones meets the Dogs D’Amour in a bar fight with The Wildhearts and Social Distortion”, I can hear and understand all of these comparisons and would encourage fans of them all to check out this album. But I could just as easily add into that mix The Kinks, The Who, The Yo-Yo’s, Suede, Placebo and PIL. But what Anti-Fashion do so well is to take all of these influences and passions, add them to their own and create something which sounds fresh, new, urgent, distinct and unlike most music which is out there just now … not an easy thing to do.


The style changes with ‘Day By Day’, a mid-paced number with Sixties’ Beatlesesque chorus, which manages to sound both melancholic and defiant, over those ever-present and beautiful raw guitars; and ‘She’s The One’ tips its hat to The Kinks with a raw ‘You Really Got Me’-style riff before shapeshifting into almost a completely different feel and tempo of song during the bridge.


Seven months into 2026 and if I hear better new songs by any artist this year than ‘No Escape’ and ‘Going Nowhere’ I’ll be very, very surprised. The album is worth buying for these songs alone. That is all I will say. You just need to listen to them. 

‘Nightmare’ and ‘From The Heart’ (dropping the pace a little) are fast and furious, but controlled and melodic. 


‘Wild Animal’ bristles with influences from The Cult and The Who to ‘90’s and 00’s Brit Pop all the while stamping Anti-Fashion all over the song and making it unmistakably their’s.


Maintaining the very high quality to the end, the title track, ‘Dirt And Dust’, is another great song with a chorus and melodic backing vocals which many artists could only dream of with the darker, heavier, powerful and more straightforward rock track ‘Too Much Pressure’ closing the album.


The playing throughout is really solid. Frank and JJ provide a great mix of raw and clean guitars complementing each other well and filling the songs anchored by Kath and Steve’s powerful rhythm section.  Also, a final shout out on the production which sounds really big with clear separation between instruments and a great balance between these and the vocals which can be heard clearly at both low and high volumes. Credit to JJ for producing and mixing the album and to Dave Draper for mastering it.


Buyers of the Limited Edition of the CD can access two additional tracks - ‘Highway 101’ and a cover of the Stones’ ‘Dead Flowers’.  If you want to know about these you’ll have to get the Limited Edition (100 copies available at the same price as the standard CD and both come with a free download). 


‘Dirt And Dust’ will be released on 2 Sept, but can be pre-ordered at www.antifashionuk.com (If the Limited Edition isn’t visible on the landing page, try clicking the menu then “music”)


‘Dirt And Dust’ can also be ordered in the U.S. (on both editions of CD and vinyl) at

www.noizeintheatticrecords.bigcartel.com


Recognising that the songs on this album are too good to just sit on a shelf, Anti-Fashion have also booked a short series of dates in the U.K. to give these songs a live airing -


2 Sept - Edinburgh, Bannerman’s (album release day)

3 Sept - Hartlepool , The Studio

4 Sept - Bradford, The Underground

5 Sept - Sheffield, Club HRH

6 Sept - Stockport, Holy Diver

With special guests the Continental Lovers and the Dukes of Bordello on all dates; Burning Circus will also support in Edinburgh and Leaders of Men in Hartlepool.


Go on. Order the album. Go to the gig. Support music and hear some of the best new songs this (or any) year.

 GMcA