Boy oh boy does TGEFM have a doozy of a premiere for you. “Last Meal” by UK punks Penny Rich is a hard and noisy post-hardcore-ish track that tickles a whole bunch of your pleasure receptors, if you’re into the style (and maybe even if you aren’t). Alternating between a near cacophony and some truly melodic parts.
Under the hood, though, the song plumbs the depths of deeper source material. Guitarist/vocalist Ant relates the origin and inspiration for the song:
So Last Meal was a bit of a random one. One night, I couldn’t sleep so I started watching this TV documentary on death row in the US.
Obviously, it was a sad watch, purely driven by morbid curiosity. It did get me thinking though. What came across is that the final deed is as nothing compared to the limbo the inmates find themselves in, sometimes for years, even decades. This makes the notion of a ‘last meal’ almost a bit of a kick in the teeth, a bit of an empty gesture for temporary gratification.
The song tries to capture that moment, the moment where the inmate realises that this meal means nothing, that this empty pleasure only serves to amplify their own sense of dread and foreboding, almost like they’ve been kidding themselves and been found out.
This spoke to me, as this is something I think we all do in everyday life. Whether kidding ourselves about our appearance, mental state, deadlines… we all do it. That vulnerable moment of self-realisation, that’s what the song is about.
Structurally, the song is made up of ‘two voices’, albeit using the same physical voice. One before and one during the ultimate moment of self-realisation. I am essentially having a conversation with myself. Considering this is something that usually goes on inside one’s head, it is incredibly cathartic to perform live.
Oooof… bit of a buzzkill but, then again, some of the best music tackles concepts that few dare discuss. Plus, the song is damn good (IMHO).
Hit up the new single below and, underneath, you can info on their headlining gig tomorrow in Cardif, as well as all of the social media and streaming links you need to keep up with Penny Rich.
Penny Rich and guests live at Tiny Rebel Cardiff, 18 Nov 2022. Get your tickets here.
Penny Rich links:
Bandcamp: https://pennyrich.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennyRichBand
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pennyrichband/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/38vjdMLP8PeYNpOMTwVTLN
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/penny-rich/1317476597
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbRg8JU9b-jNjeByjnaZ3Vw
the white drew carey (aka – Jeff Sorley) is the founder and head editor of TGEFM. He’s lived (outside of) Chicago, Madison WI, (ugh) Penn State, Lyon FR, Oxford UK, central New Jersey, and now within earshot of SFO in the Bay Area. When not scouring the web for more great bands and labels to post about, he also spends time drawing (mostly) silly sci-fi and anime stuff under the name Asplenia Studios.
