Low Life – Sydney Darbs 7” EP (Negative Guest List)
RECOMMENDED
Four blasts of weatherbeaten downer punk from a Sydney trio that gives “a special thanx to anyone who embraces the 9-5, day in day out, mundane, soul destroying, mindless, clock work thinking because you are why we do this.. and we fucking detest you.” That kind of attitude is still needed in punk/the seething world, and the music of Low Life suits it, all dirgelike chords, flange pedal and space-absorbing vocals that suck most of the air out of this recording, like putting a plastic bag over your head and drawing deep. Sounds like it crawled out of a pit to harass shopping centre patrons with hopelessness, blight, and demands for cigarettes. Nods to dark early ‘80s UK punk are evident, if not necessarily intentional; it all adds up to a hissing, nasty, bruising music that has nothing but disdain for the outside world, and an inner sanctum held together by symbols and mythology. In the wake of Brendon’s passing, I do hope that their album will be coming out regardless, and that this single will not be any harder to find. A real day-ruiner, and not in an easy or obvious way. Put your shoes on, dump water in them, then go about your day, and you’ll probably be upset enough to make this kind of record yourself. Visit this link for reference only: (http://negativeguestlist.blogspot.com)
(Doug Mosurock)
