NYC’s Dirt Buyer offers nothing short of a unique take on folk. The trio, consisting of Ruben Radlauer, Joe Sutkowski, and Emma Stacher, released their debut album in 2019. Murky and dark, their sparse ballads are often sung in a melancholic falsetto, and betray influences as disparate as Radiohead and the Beach Boys. Opening track “Dirt Buyer Theme Song” is only a little over one minute in length, but does an exemplary job at introducing the listener to the band; according to it, Dirt Buyer is here to comfort the listener, letting them know they did nothing wrong. Lead singer Sutkowski’s unique and ghosty voice has a knack for exploring spacious melodies rich in minor thirds yet not-at-all bluesy, like in brand new single IKIF, probably their best track to date, streaming below. You can catch the band at Rough Trade NYC on 10.04. – Karigan Wright
