When We Slip
Big banks win, lil' brokers lose, the prepotent gold-encrusted wheels of The Big End keep on turning, crushing us all, blah blah blah. And any hope that some crusty old white grumpy bureaucrat was gonna slam his fists (or a 1000 page report) on a table and pronounce his final recommendation is that we all revolt and tear down the whole system down were dashed faster than you could say "insider trading".
In hindsight, we were all clearly caught up in the hype, drunk on Hope, wide-eyed on a future of genuine change etc. Better off, also in hindsight, keeping our peepers on the prize: what's really important. Which brings us from the latest pointless political exercise to the real subject here: the latest excellent offering from Sydney's Mope City, News From Home, on which the shrug 'n' punk pair — via their usual grit and spits of disgust — do a better job summing up the mood of this city than any pathetic 'n' pointless protest against capitalism 'n' corruption ever could.
And in such hopeless times, weeks where we're reminded how insignificant we are in the scheme of things, it's natural to seek some comfort. Get small picture, as they say. With that all in mind, here's "Medicine Drawer", a zoomed-in tale far closer to home (literally) and a brutal-yet-brill blow-by-blow summation of something far more relatable than how to spin a dead person surcharge to your shareholders: addiction.
While initially released back in mid-2018 as a preview for News From Home (at the time scheduled for an October 2018 release), the slacker-pop power of "Medicine Drawer" lands a far stronger punch in the album surrounds, with that big strum of determination triumphantly interrupting "Things You Must Do", some sort of field recording snippet that recalls a non-specific tragedy and (correct me if I'm wrong) a fresh packet of painkillers getting popped (or possibly a cassette being turned over to a fresh open field of unused space for further confessions.)
News From Home was released mid-January via Tenth Court, with the band set to officially welcome the LP into the world at a home town launch show tonight (February 8th) at the Union Hotel in Newtown. Free entry, with support from Jack Lee Group, Worm Cafe and Drowning Fleets, details here.