Another Piranha

McLusky “As A Dad”

Anger is real. It’s arguably the strongest emotion we can feel, and it’s certainly the most destructive. There’s lots of ways for anger to be righteous and sensible, something that fuels constructive behavior. But I think more often than not, we experience anger in stupid, pointless, petty ways. It manifests in ways that make us look foolish. It can be hilarous.

This is basically the foundational premise of McLusky’s music. They convey earnest rage through pummeling distorted bass lines and gnarled guitar hooks, but Andrew Falkous’ lyrics and sneering vocal affect present that anger as absurd dark comedy. Sometimes he’s peevish and snarky, but mostly he comes across as someone who’s stepped outside himself just enough to get how funny and ridiculous his own rage is, so he leans all the way into it. The magic trick is that he doesn’t totally undermine the fury in the music. You get to have it both ways in McLusky songs.

“As A Dad” takes this approach to a natural conclusion, with Falkous singing from the perspective of a child taunting their father. It’s mean but mostly quite silly, the capricious cruelty of a mind that hasn’t developed empathy or a greater sense of context just yet. Falkous slips easily into this mindset, which feels very specific to a little kid, but is obviously still commonly found in adults.

Buy it from Bandcamp.