You like the music of THE DEATH SOUTH or OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW? Then you should move your fingers quickly and look for the new EP of POOR MAN'S POISON! The American quartet is a mixture of the traditions of folk-bluegrass, blues and rock. Formed in 2009, the band was based in Hanford, California. While they are from California, this is not a soft-spoken beach boy band! Meanwhile the band has released 3 albums, as well as a live album. After a long break to pursue family and career, PMP started releasing new music in the form of singles. This resulted in the popular single "Feed The Machine" which has over 6 million views on Spotify! This past Friday saw the release of their newest EP, "In The End", which features three songs and 5 tracks.
I remember very well that I heard the band for the first time at the end of last year. It was a rainy and gray evening, which I used to bake with a friend. YouTube was playing their last heard songs until it played "Feed The Machine". I would say that time stood still for a few seconds and musical magic floated through the room. Immediately I was excited, captivated and greedy to know this new music. While their musical direction can be compared to other bands, the combination of their sound and singer is incomparable and unique. Therefore, I would definitely like to recommend this new EP to you.
The intro "In the End" is a kind of "radio news broadcast". An announcer reports on various "events" that relate to the upcoming three songs and who changes sequences.
"Good People" is anything but light fare. The song deals with the question of what happens to the good people in society, or rather where they disappear to. Lines like "If you could help or walk away, if that choice was up to you, what would you do?" not only make you think, they also reflect society. The lyrical work is embedded by a melancholic mandolin, a guitar, the boys' harmonies and the wind instrument.
The next track is felt all over the world. "Give and Take" deals with a heated and tense situation that threatens to escalate. Two fronts exist, as well as a revolution that is in the air. Unlike the first song, this one is much wilder and stronger to better convey the content. This is done, for example, by the chorus that all members sing together.
For the last track, you should definitely take the time to listen carefully and let the song take effect on you. It is personal, emotional, honest, intense and close to real life. But most of all, I think it will give strength and a listen to fans who are familiar with the subject matter. "Stronger Than the Whiskey" doesn't need much explanation in terms of content, as the title already contains everything important. Similar to "Good People", this one doesn't throw good humor around. It also moves in heavy waters. But the core is hit 100% and this creates a perfect song for the quartet.
"The Struggle" is the outro, which rounds off the EP's story very nicely. A little girl asks her father if she and the father are the good people. Now you can interpret the answer for yourself. Is he telling the child the truth or not?
Shortly before the end I would like to draw attention to the album cover. To one or the other the style may seem familiar. Already for "Feed The Machine" Egor Grositskiy had the pleasure to work with the band. And also this time he did a fantastic job!
After the band released their last single "Every Day Is Exactly the Same" (how appropriately chosen), I was longing for new music. Therefore, the EP "In The End" came just in time. And I must say that it is a small but very fine EP. The themes are anything but light fare and the music doesn't really encourage you either. But someone has to address the topics we all would like to forget or hide. Topics we would like to look away from. And that's exactly the kind of topics POOR MAN'S POISON likes to address. If I could choose works to describe our century, the EP would definitely be among them! POOR MAN'S POISON have done a great job, which should definitely be heard. (Sarah-Jane)
Rating:
8,5 / 10
Number of songs: 5
Playing time: 13:01
Label: Independent
Release date: 08/07/2021
