Poor Mans Poison - Give and Take

No, I know there’s a mandolin and a double bass in the video, but just come back and listen, okay? I promise it’s not as bad as all that. Folk music tends to get a negative rap when compared to rock and roll proper, but there’s plenty of punky promise where Poor Man’s Poison are concerned, most of which comes from the lyrics – lots of tales of the downtrodden under the government boot, analgesic anthems of hope when the wolves are at the door, you know the drill. There’s a real infectiousness to their tracks, though. That folky, bump-along beat really knows how to carve a space in your earholes where it can hide, ready to pop out when you’re trying to do something important, like officiate a wedding or hide from pounding jackboots. 

So with that said, get your own feet ready to move along to Give and Take, the most fun you can have while you’re being hunted down. These vocals are a thing of beauty – there’s more lovely layering here than a cake on top of another cake. Sure, it’s not rock and roll in the traditional sense. But this breed of Southern Gothic-punk Poor Man’s Poison are putting out makes their inclusion in our illustrious Rock Song of the Week halls more than deserved. Try something a little different this week – you might be surprised. Or you might despise it; there’s nothing wrong with that either, as long as you come back next week!