by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
There’s a brilliant versatility to be found in the music of Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice, a project that has adapted between releases, making use of both solo and full band line-ups to scratch different itches. Led by Dougal Shaw aka Dr Sure, the full band offers enormous post-punk with big grooves and political themes, but every now and then Shaw lets us in on music that feels more personal, constructed solo to capture moods and experiences between records. Dr Sure’s thrives in both formations, adapting the post-punk of the past with an undeniably fresh perspective. While the project’s last full length, Remember The Future? Vol. 2 & 1, was full of futuristic sheen, there’s something special about their upcoming “mixtape” BUBBLE, due out April 14th via Marthouse Records (Gut Health, Bench Press, Heir Traffic). Recorded solo by Shaw, the record leans on programmed drums and heavy synths.
“Low On Time” is the record’s second single, a gloriously expansive krautrock / new-wave jam that feels as much influenced as Kraftwerk as it does Talking Heads. The title seems somewhat self-explanatory when you consider the fact that Shaw plays in multiple bands, runs both Marthouse Records and a tattoo shop, all in addition to becoming a new dad. Time probably feels scarce, and the motorik new wave boogie of “Low On Time” just wants to drive deep into the night, a chance to get away from it all, free to do whatever the night has in store. The song is impeccably locked-in, the synths and rhythm offering a retro space-age hypnosis, deeply entranced in its structure. The song offers a hard charging reminder that there’s a need to just keep going… and going.