With a bit of a Byrds jangle, Anne McCue, Australia's answer to Lucinda Williams, comes up with a smart piece of writing called "Stupid."
The more you listen to Anne's song, the more clever it becomes. She can easily reference Bob Dylan, but this comes out of knowledge and respect for their work, not desperate name-dropping.
"...there are no institutions. There's nothing to believe in anymore. The time of the flood is almost here. The end of the world is drawing near..."
But that's no reason to do something stupid. The song is about not giving up on life...which is remarkable coming from a woman who fills up her albums with some pretty grim and dark songs. Yes, singing about drunks ("Jesus' Blood") disaster ("Any Minute Now") and feeling like a "$50 Whore" all suggest that fans of Cohen and Dylan might do well to add McCue to their eMusic queue.
"I suffered your shit and shoveled your debris," she sings to the guy who nearly drove her to suicide. But really, why kill yourself over some guy? Or some guy at 11pm giving you bad news? He's not a prophet, and "no man-made God" should lead anyone to a premature and fatal decision. If Anne can manage the trick of being depressing and uplifting at the same time, then there are indeed wonders to ponder every day.
On this track she warns, "I'm gonna write a Bob Dylan song..." Well, why not, she upped the ante on her pal Lucinda already, and some of her stuff is more than good enough to be covered by Bob on a lonely afternoon.
STUPID Instant download or listen on line.
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