I often bang on about the Marrickville Sound in the southern hemisphere: members of bands that basked in the spotlight in the eighties or nineties who in later years reform or create new bands that continue to create and innovate in their later years. Paul Scott is another prime example: for those who where there you might recall New Zealand band Pop Mechanix from the eighties: a brief moment in the sun around the time of the Flying Nun/Dunedin sound, often associated with The Swingers, Split Enz and playing around the inner city of Sydney (from memory).
Since the demise of Pop Mechanix, Scott has continued to play in various guises and bands and, in 2021, with Steve Melville (ex Mr Blonde and Montana, released an album under the moniker The Insufferable Paul Scott. Scott’s intentions are clear:
I was looking for the kind of pop thrill I used to get from great Aussie indie bands such as The Falling Joys, Smudge, The Hummingbirds, pop thrills… you know?
Well, The Insufferable Paul Scott is back with the single ‘Extinct’ and on the record the result is neither insufferable nor dead. ‘Extinct’ is a slice of pure indie pop with a sparkle. Scott’s vocals are distant, laconic, slightly distorted with an old fashioned fin-de-siecle microphone and delivered over a rolling, enigmatic piano and a thundering aquatic bass and percussion. There is a melancholic fairground feel to the music as he repeats the line fail to adapt when extinct with a romantic twist to the lyrics – no-one can sparkle like you do.
Proving yet again that creativity has no use-by date. ‘Extinct’ is out now through the esteemed Foghorn Records and available to stream here and through the link below (with added tracks). An album is expected this year.
