Skip to content
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Derek
    • Gary
    • Halley/Celeste
    • Paul
    • Ricky
    • Vik
  • Concerts
  • Reviews
    • Albums
    • Venue
    • Movies
    • Year End Reviews
  • Festivals
    • Canadian Music Week
    • Hot Docs
    • North By Northeast
    • Planet in Focus
    • Primavera
    • South By Southwest
  • Contact Us
Menu
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Derek
    • Gary
    • Halley/Celeste
    • Paul
    • Ricky
    • Vik
  • Concerts
  • Reviews
    • Albums
    • Venue
    • Movies
    • Year End Reviews
  • Festivals
    • Canadian Music Week
    • Hot Docs
    • North By Northeast
    • Planet in Focus
    • Primavera
    • South By Southwest
  • Contact Us

Song of the Day: Lucy Dacus – Night Shift

Posted on
13 Jan 2018
by
Gary

It’s hard to recommend break-up songs. Search one’s Best-Of lists over the years, and I would argue that it’s a specific and endangered species of accolade like the albatross. In this age of hyper-connectivity and over-social carnage, spending the time to compose and write a song is more of a redundant anachronistic mechanism, like the mix-tapes from the 1980s. Where is the catharsis if you invest it into a creative work, only to prolong the hurt like an albatross around your neck every time you play it? One is supposed to vent the anger and disappointment immediately, and move on to better and brighter things one can Instagram. Plus, wouldn’t you question the recommender’s frame of mind? Who would heartily and vicariously share pain?

We covered Lucy Dacus’ excellent debut at SXSW two years ago. This new single is broken up into two parts (no pun intended). Thanks in no small part to Dacus’ evenly narrative voice, as on the first album, we are able to follow the story in the lead portion. But if you lack patience, skip to 3:25 for the beautifully written refrain: a feat all by itself that fits any shoe. It feels ever so slightly wrong to be excited in the anticipation of being depressed, but I’m sure you’ll get over that feeling very quickly, too. This is now my favorite night-shift song next to The Commodores. No, they don’t mix well.

Dacus’ new album, Historian, is coming out on March 2nd.

PrevPreviousHot Docs Review: Mountain [2018, Jennifer Peedom]
NextConcert Review: Stanley Jordan, January 13, Blues AlleyNext

SEARCH

FOLLOW US

Facebook Twitter Flickr Foursquare Rss Inbox

THE PAST

Archives

TAGS

Tags
British Music Embassy (10) Canadian Music Fest (11) canadian music week (19) cmf (10) cmw (41) concert (9) el mocambo (9) fringe (26) Great Lake Swimmers (10) guelph (9) horseshoe tavern (23) hot docs (103) jazz (12) Joel Plaskett (10) jukebox the ghost (15) lee's palace (27) marina and the diamonds (10) Massive Attack (10) mod club (12) NXNE (94) of monsters and men (11) Phoenix (15) play reviews (11) Pulp (11) Roskilde Festival (16) rural alberta advantage (10) sharon van etten (10) suede (12) summerworks (34) SXSW (479) SXSW 2022 (11) SXSW 2024 (11) SXSW Online (18) the antlers (11) the cure (9) the national (10) the xx (11) Tokyo Police Club (9) Toronto (25) toronto fringe (14) Toronto Jazz Festival (55) turf (13) tweeview (10) Video (9) zeus (10)
The Panic Manual

We are a collective of individuals bringing you the latest in concert reviews, indie, britpop, Canadian, twee and all sorts of other music, movies, tv and everything else you like. Follow the manual to live a pleasant and fulfilling life.

All rights reserved