Du Blonde’s previous three albums have been varied, but all could have been characterised by a dark, grungy edge which soaked Beth Jeans Houghton’s music in thinly veiled anger. That bluntness hasn’t been entirely removed on Sniff More Gritty. But the overall feel of the album is much more playful, an artist who still feels many of the same things and still rages against misogyny, unfairness, and judgement, but who is doing it with more of a nod and a wink, a bigger smile on their face.
Early song ‘Solitary Individual’ is a standout in that regard, as they proudly display their introverted nature, telling those who think they must be depressed because they don’t leave the house to mind their own business. It’s an interesting moment in the album as it sets Du Blonde out as someone who truly knows themselves now, but who isn’t going to apologise for the fact that they aren’t exactly how you think they should be. That could be the message for much of this album.
Slow burner ‘Perfect’ opens the album, largely listing lots of things it sounds they have been told they shouldn’t be doing but telling the listener that they don’t care about the ‘magazine standards’ they are holding them to. ‘TV Star’ takes a sardonic view of fame and notoriety, how being a recognisable figure hides the truth of struggle. It’s another musically playful and loud song, which continues the early themes of the album. Which makes ‘Out Of A Million’ particularly surprising. This song features Houghton singing gently over very simple piano, displaying the power and range of their voice in a way they haven’t before.
Despite how well this album kicks off with these songs, though, there is a step up in quality as we meet the mid-section. ‘ICU’ has one of the catchiest choruses on display, as Houghton begs for empathy as ‘death is coming for me in forms that I don’t understand.’ Across this whole song we have the best storytelling on the album, leaving ‘ICU’ as the standout moment. But ‘Blame’ runs it close, as an aggressive and driving guitar lines matches the pissed off sentiment of the song. ‘Lucky’ sees Du Blonde in more familiar territory lyrically, singing about not ‘kneeling for no man’ who ‘only touched you a few times, so why does it bother you?’ But as familiar as the content is, the music has a more poppy and accessible sound that might bring the message to a wider audience.
A potential guide to the growth of Du Blonde between albums comes with two of the features that show up in the final three songs. Skin from Skunk Anansie is on ‘Next Big Thing’, a song which seems to focus on how anxiety prevents you from doing the things that could move you forward but also how it keeps you safe. Then, immediately after, Paul Smith from Maximo Park (and someone I’ve never heard of from The Futureheads) show up on ‘Radio Jesus’. Perhaps most interestingly, given the level of those guests, the songs remain very much Du Blonde songs with features simply propping them up.
The album then closes with ‘Metal Detector’, a song which sees Du Blonde apologising for many of the things they have highlighted about themselves across the album. But then the playful side comes back in, as they say that despite all of these issues, they are a ‘metal detector’ and the person they are singing to is ‘a coin in the field’ – they will eventually find each other again and go for ‘bacon and eggs’ in the restaurant. While this closer isn’t necessarily the best song here, it does highlight so much that’s good about Sniff More Gritty. This is an artist brimming with confidence, enjoying themselves while admitting and defending their flaws, and making fun, enjoyable music that will appeal to a wider audience than what they’d done before.
Words by Fran Slater
Picky Bastards 
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