self preservation society
Reviewed by: Phil Catley
Published: 19 August 2010
double ep: #42 and tamworth city streets
Tristan Newsome is the smooth voiced troubadour who fronted the now disbanded local group “The Flying Squad”. Self Preservation Society is Tristan’s new venture; a pared back vehicle for presenting his acoustic tunes and stories of life on the road.
The songs on these EPs are inspired by Tristan’s road-trip from Brisbane to Tamworth. Tristan’s pilgrimage is shared by an elusive but chaotic character called ‘H W Bones’ - an imaginary friend of sorts, but more the creation of a gonzo lyricist than that of a child living a world of fantasy. You can see how this collection of songs would emerge from a lonely road trip with nothing but an acoustic guitar and an imaginary friend for company.
The EPs are released through “Quiet Pop” a relatively new label supporting local art and music. The CD covers are an interesting design – they are a sheet of white A4 paper carefully folded to provide a snug home for the CD. Also inserted with the CD is a letter from Tristan which provides background information about the story that is about to unfold.
So, to the music.
The first EP is called #42, which kicks off with “Lonesome Spring Evenings (thinking of you)”, a Tom Waits-ish monologue over guitar and background noises. Then comes “Make Room”, a bluesy/grungy acoustic tune with a faintly receding electric guitar and decadent background drum beat. Somewhat Dylan-ish, it ends in a rather angry piece of pent-up energy.
A slow, cavernous Reverb-soaked dirge called “The Well is Dry” ensues, then ”Stumbling Alone” varies the pace somewhat with the introduction of mandolin and drums played with gentle brushes. The EP’s finale is the droning acoustic “Blues in D#42”, complete with delta harmonica solo.
Tamworth City Streets is the second EP, and is a more straight forward collection country blues appropriate for a Tamworth trip. The title track is an acoustic country monologue about the trip from Brisbane to the Tamworth Country Music Festival. We are then introduced to “Old Bill”, a timeless inhabitant of the town streets, before marching uptown to the beat of the acoustic blues tune “Blues in E#54”. Johnny Cash might have rode into town to introduce this one.
Possibly the most up-beat of the 10 songs is “Self Portrait”. It’s an acoustic tale of suffering for your art. No doubt autobiographical. The EP ends with “Tested Twice in Tenterfield” – an acoustic blues song with a harp solo, it has the heavy influence of the Rundle Mall busker.
Tristan Newsome seems to be on a journey to discover his musical soul; “Self Preservation Society” is the next restless step on his path to enlightenment. This collection is different to what he has done before; it is probably going to be different to what he does next. Tristan is blessed with a smooth voice, the ability to write interesting observational lyrics, and a firm grasp of how to structure a song. Armed with these skills it will be interesting to see where it takes him. For now, his EPs are an interesting creative experiment that warrants further listening and exploration.
