self preservation society
Reviewed by: Phil Catley
Published: 29 December 2010
ep: gone with the wind
“Gone with the Wind” is Tristan Newsome’s (aka Self Preservation Society) third and final EP in the trilogy that chronicles a semi-fictional road-trip with the elusive conspirator HW Bones. In order to properly appreciate the context of “Wind” listeners should acquaint themselves with the two previous EPs (“#42” and “Tamworth City Streets”), however, this is not essential as this short collection of 5 tracks can be sampled in isolation.
The narrative developed in “#42” and “Tamworth” is maintained in this release, with HW Bones persisting as a disruptive and possibly imaginary influence on our protagonist’s life. Back in Adelaide after the road-trip from Queensland, “A Phone Call Home” is a narrative, read aloud but possibly representative of a stream of consciousness, accompanied by jarring acoustic plucking and dustbowl winds. HW Bones has met a girl at the Grace Emily and abandoned his friend. The empty telephone conversation and discursive musings describe the empty loneliness, real or imagined, of a mind abandoned and floundering for reality.
The grungy acoustic/electric of “Outlawed Action Man” is reminiscent of The White Stripes, but without the drum. This fierce, angry country rock tune, describes the potentially violent reunion and confrontation with the wild HW Bones.
The anger and hurt of loss is tempered by acceptance and life goes on. “Firing Lines” is an acoustic melodic love song, evoking images of Clark Gable waltzing joyfully, the tails of his coat gaily flapping as he swirls through the ballroom. “Yeah I’m still drinking, yeah I’m alright” is the false bravado covering the pain and anguish just below the surface, the “hush fingered firing line” ready to fire and end it all.
Rounding out the EP is “Old Man Blues”, which is part Bob Dylan folk, part Charlie Patton blues, and part Tristan Newsome hunting down the devilish HW Bones. The acoustic folk/bluegrass “Different Towns” is a forlorn retrospective of what was, and what could have been.
There’s a lot to like about Tristan Newsome’s voice, his song-writing, and his ability to craft an interesting story. This third EP concludes the trilogy with a consistency across the three releases.
