Black Market Heart – Don’t Fit Anywhere
Books, films and concept albums have been written about musical scenes populated by characters seemingly condemned to an early demise. In fact, there are so many of them that you might also fall into the trap of thinking that all creative types are naturally self-destructive, that making poor decisions that have terrible repercussions just goes along with the territory.
That’s not the case! Messing yourself up and everything around you is unlikely to magically make you creative or improve your singing voice. It may give you a story to tell, sure. But, unless you’re equipped with the kind of talent and persistence of someone like, for example, Mark Lanegan, all that you’ll have will be a story.
I mention Mark Lanegan because the lead vocals across Black Market Heart’s grungey, mean-sounding “Don’t Fit Anywhere” enviably resemble the singing of the famous baritone. The lyrics with their tale of bad decisions and horrible retribution also call to mind grunge music’s darkest moment. Most importantly, though, this is a highly convincing rock sound one way or another. Fail to have this, and everything’s just a tale of negligence, variations of which most of us have.
This Time Only – Papers
The really good teachers of economics don’t bother with heroes or villains. They don’t even focus on the charts or the stats more than they should. And, although they agree that the world tends to move in cycles, they don’t waste too much time on predictions either.
The great economists are even better psychologists. They know that the world stops when enough people decide that it’s going to stop. They know that an economic crisis occurs when enough people are pessimistic about the future.
And, right about now, most people in most parts of the world are angry. Who with? Everyone is trying to sell them a story and advertise themselves as the solution. Aussie punk This Time Only know better than to fall for it.
“Papers” is a passionate, highly melodic punk-rock song. Yeah, it’s got enough about it to make you want to chant along. But, it’s also a reminder that the band, and everyone like them, see what’s going on, don’t believe anymore, and that consequences will soon follow.
