one of these things is much like the other

Most of the time, I have no patience for copies--it's like, do your own thing, be your own pet, whatever. Destroy your idols, as the saying goes. Kill the Buddha. That's what came to mind while listening to the new Sic Alps album, A Long Way Around to A Shortcut (Drag City). Buried in the almost 30 tracks is a roughhewn gem called "Message from the Law", about bothersome letters of eviction, government people who just won't leave you alone and not giving a damn. It's a tight, nostalgic riff-driven piece of cool shrug-your-shoulders rock.



But, nostalgic for what?, you might ask. Take a peep and you'll see. It's got the same tune and bassline, although by far lacking the same sense of urgency, as the Beatles' classic "Paperback Writer". As one of my favorite Beatles cuts, I'm not complaining too loudly about Frizco's Sic Alps aping the British legends. After all, who could resist taking a stab at their genius?



Message from the Law
Paperback Writer