Single Review - This Work is a Drug - The Fatherline

We had the pleasure of seeing the Fatherline perform their first ever gig, opening for Jessica Lynn on their European Tour last year, and since then we have been at almost every one of their gigs as they played The British Country Music Festival in Blackpool and supported Sam Coe  and Jess and the Bandits among other shows.

Fronted by the very talented Tim Prottey-Jones, an accomplished singer of many genres and a skilled multi-instrumentalist the set always includes the song This Work Is A Drug, normally right at the end. It seems to sum up everything about the performance that we had just seen, why any performer carries on working their way round gigs, setting up, performing and then back on the road, and is a stunning set ender. The music is the vice of any musician, their obsession carries them on regardless.

Having seen it performed live so many times, how will a studio version measure up?

Despite being a studio recording, the song loses nothing of its raw power and emotion. The instrumentation is perfect, building with the vocals as the song progresses. An almost spoken sullen start, then a hint at the underlying power in Tim’s voice, but its reined in to add to the emotion, this addiction isn’t to be shouted about but it can’t be helped. Its an alternative ballad. 

Halfway through the singing stops, and we have a wonderful bass line played, the drums join softly, keys and then lead guitar along with Tim’s voice take the song back up to a stunning crescendo before a gentle fade out.

  

The lyrics repeat “This work is a drug, I can’t stop, can’t get enough”, but it is the way Tim sings each line – with excellent harmonies with the rest on the band. – that puts the emotion into the words. The work is all he has, and yet it isn’t what he wants.

A great musical composition to reflect a personal situation. 

A superb single from the relatively new band The Fatherline – new but stuffed full of experience and talent.

This Work Is A Drug is available on all platforms from 1 May

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