!["Sherlock Holmes" (Sparks cover) [MP3/Stream]](http://assets1.pitchforkmedia.com/images/original/43335.dirtbombs.jpg "\"Sherlock Holmes\" (Sparks cover) [MP3/Stream]")
New Music: The Dirtbombs: "Sherlock Holmes" (Sparks cover) [MP3/Stream]
A garage-rock band covering a mid-1980s art-pop deep cut, like a wreck by the side of the road, promises to be oddly compelling no matter the damage. Great news for rubberneckers: Detroit's Dirtbombs turn long-running duo Sparks' synth-laden "Sherlock Holmes", originally from 1984's Black Kids-cited (on "I've Underestimated My Charm (Again)") Angst in My Pants, into a pretty awesome-sounding car crash. And nobody gets hurt. Beyond that, I guess it's pretty much what you'd expect if you know this sad, strange love song: The synths turn into guitars with blaring car-horn distortion, but it's still midtempo and dryly witty.
The Dirtbombs founder Mick Collins pulls a Damon Albarn-like falsetto out of the bedlam, imploring, "Spend the night with Sherlock Holmes/ Hold me tight like Sherlock Holmes/ Just pretend I'm Sherlock Holmes." There's a punkier force behind the disheartened bridge, a series of shouted questions: "Do you want to have fun?/ Do you want a good time?/ Do you want me to laugh?/ Do you want me to cry?" etc. What on Earth do they want from poor Collins? As Shop Boyz might say, "Elementary, dude."