Theory of a Deadman Piles on the Pathos

A single lonely whistle. And thus begins "Medicate" (listed on the single as "Rx".) This has to be the most depressing song of 2017. Tyler Connolly sings about how his life is about as exciting as watching paint dry so his answer is to self-medicate. Many a rock star has followed that path with tragic results. In the video Tyler and friends cruise around town bemoaning their lot. Cameos are made by townspeople easing their burdens with their drug of choice. "Rx" isn't all that heavy a song from a musicianship standpoint. Lead guitarist Dave Brenner doesn't crank up the volume very high nor does bassist Dave Beck get too intense. Drummer Joey Dandeneau's contributions are felt but, again, no overt displays of power. That's great tactician behavior on the band's part. They don't need macho playing to bring out the inner creepiness on display here. That whistle is largely to blame. Right off the bat the dispiriting sound of giving up on life drips off of the playback. As good as Tyler is at spelling out the state of his something to be desired existence (Mommy paying his bills for example) he can afford to dial down his performance because the atmospherics do much of Tyler's heavy lifting for him. In Tyler's neck of the woods everybody from the priest to the hot chick to the president is out copping some kind of buzz. Earlier I claimed this song was quite depressing and I stand by that verdict. However that doesn't mean I hate "Rx". On the contrary it does a amazing job showing us how easily social ties between man and neighborhood can unravel. When all else fails drug your drudgery away. The video's car ride pretty much sums up the story. Riding around underwhelmed by suburbia as a whole. Tempo set at a pace slow enough to lure you into the chaos, but not so slow that a lasting impression fails to be made. For anyone needing songcraft in the misery loves company vein, "Rx" is just what the rock doctor ordered.