:: Dust In My Shoes

Mick Thomas

This is the first ‘proper’ release from Mick since the self imposed demise of the magnificent Weddings, Parties, Anything in 1998 and let me tell you it is well worth the wait. Mick surely assumes the mantle as one of finest songwriters in this country. Like Paul Kelly, each track tells a story, built from a simple observation and told with economical precision. The album opens with “The Lonely Goth” – a gently rolling song about a black nail-polished boy, bravely growing up in an intolerant country town. “I Could Spot You Anywhere” is a rollicking number about a man courting a woman. One of the highlight tracks, “You Remind Me” is a live favourite already, an utterly singable tale of the people you meet over 20 years on the road. As I said each song tells a story, a moment caught in focus and given life. Part of the appeal of Mick Thomas, must be that these songs could be about anyone in the crowd, you know what the protagonist is thinking as you hear the lyrics. “Dust in my Shoes” veers away from the folk rock of WPA, taking on a country twang, tunes such as “As Far as the Eye Can See” and “No Picnic” are fine examples of this. It seems unfair to single out any particular tracks as highlights, but “Tom Wills”, a catchy tale of the troubled life of the famed Aussie Rules co-founder, stands out well. Other notable songs include “Baked A Cake”, a beautiful song from the perspective of an estranged country wife as her husband seeks to patch things up, and “No Picnic”, a great closing song about completing a rough journey – the pedal steel guitar is fantastic. Many of the tracks on the album have been road tested over the last year or so, and it shows with the confidence in which they’re played, it’s obvious the band knows these songs backwards. All the energy and emotion that made the Weddings so great is present in this recording, “Dust on My Shoes” is an absolute ‘must-buy’.