Television Personalities “Ex-Girlfriend Club”

The most intriguing thing about Dan Treacy’s stream-of-consciousness vamp on “Ex-Girlfriend Club” (mp3) is the fact that it might not be an act. He spews forth a barely contained rant no doubt molded from the ashes of numerous failed relationships–resembling how I think Streets’ Mike Skinner (or Mark Smith from the Fall, or Sean from Said the Gramaphone) would sound after stealing the microphone during a drunken post break-up karaoke bender. Treacy, who spent most of the past decade subject to rumors of heroin addiction, depression and homelessness, drifts in and out of Althea and Donna’s “Uptown Top Ranking”, and the music follows him as best it can–I can imagine a live backing band, hopelessly resigned to the fact that their singer’s run away with the dish and the spoon, just putting their heads down and playing whatever comes to mind. I’m also inclined to think, due to the relatively solid quality of the rest of the material on My Dark Places (along with the title itself), that this is a solid piece of Method work, with Treacy channeling a lost night and a shadowy place–one that most would just as soon forget.

My Dark Places, Televison Personalities’ first record in 11 years, will drop 2/27 on Domino.

Filed under: Television Personalities