Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs surprise-released the first track off their upcoming record, External Combustion, “Wicked Mind”, much to the delight of Dirty Knobs fans everywhere. With its undeniable catchiness and pure rock ‘n’ roll energy, if this track is how they’re choosing to introduce this record, I can only imagine how kickass External Combustion is going to be.
There exist songs that simply put, “scratch an itch,” and this is one of them. With snappy electric guitar and jangly acoustic, a driving beat, a bouncy bassline, a catchy melody, and just the right amount of that magic stuff that only Mike Campbell can provide, “Wicked Mind” is an earworm in its purest form. I found myself bopping to it for hours after hearing it for the first time because of how it scratches that rock ‘n’ roll-loving part of my brain in the best way.
You can hear Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in this track (of course, because Campbell co-wrote AND played lead guitar on many of the TPATH tunes you know and love – Petty played rhythm guitar generally), but it still stands out from Campbell’s work with TPATH. While much of what they do is reminiscent of TPATH, when The Dirty Knobs get together and make music, it is undeniably The Dirty Knobs. Their brand of rock ‘n’ roll has no age – you could tell me this song was released in the 80s or yesterday, and I’d believe you either way. Songs with Campbell’s stamp on them are timeless in that way.
To top it all off, the release of this new track was accompanied by a brand new music video showcasing one of the things that truly makes a band “rock ‘n’ roll,” a sense of humor. The video follows Campbell seeking to escape death after waking up in a coffin in the back of a van. His captor chases him from his burial site to the show his band is playing without him, before she ultimately catches him in the parking lot, finishing the job and burying him in the hole. There’s a goofiness to the video that only comes through when you watch it, but it’s evident that this band doesn’t take themselves too seriously, quite an admirable quality in my eyes.
If for whatever reason you weren’t convinced of the group’s talent from their 2020 release, Wreckless Abandon (though I truly don’t see how you couldn’t be), let this be the track to sway you in their favor. “Wicked Mind” is rock ‘n’ roll at its finest, and I can’t wait to hear this one when I see them at the end of March. I’m calling it now – it’s gonna be a crowd favorite. It’s certainly one of mine.