Review
Medicine
Self, Shot Forth Living

“Sometimes it rains inside my head / All the words run dry…”

She sang so sweetly up there on the big screen, and I had absolutely no idea at the time that what I was seeing in the movie theater at that minute was to become a weird love affair that has literally spanned virtually two decades, and I have loved every beautifully ugly minute of it; dating oneself such as I am (seeing The Crow in the theater) might be cringe worthy, but this scene wonderfully sets context for the re-issue of the debut album (Self, Shot Forth Living) from Medicine in ways that might otherwise be a struggle as it is arguably their most visible cultural moment to date. While their appearance in said movie may be the most visible that they ever were to any audience, Medicine actually is one of the more challenging musical acts to grace the fringes of the mainstream (this album was originally on American) and this band’s music is every bit as vital today as it was when many of us first discovered them.

“Sometimes it's bright inside my head / Just like the spark in my eyes…”

Medicine often gets unfairly lumped in with the “shoegaze” tag (hell, I have even seen and heard them called the US version of My Bloody Valentine on more than one occasion which is somewhat both an affront and a compliment to both acts, but I digress) and that is a downright shame because this outfit does more than just stare at their shoes while searching for the right guitar pedal. Listening to this re-invigorated and expanded version of Self, Shot Forth Living drives home that Medicine make some of the noisiest pop songs that most listeners are likely to ever hear as the five piece lineup that produced the record writhe and crash like a hurricane while the vocals seem to act as the proverbial eye to the storm. Sure, the song from The Crow (well, two different versions than the one on that soundtrack appropriately titled “Time Baby I” and “Time Baby II”); but to only look for that song would be a great disservice to songs like “5ive”, “Aruca” (probably one of the songs most responsible for the MBV comparisons) , the loud and grand “One More” (that noise-y veneer can barely contain the sweet but expansive pop beneath which serves like a doorway almost as if saying, make it through this song and you are ready for the rest of the album), the sweetness of “A Short Happy Life” (I could just keep going on really…)

“No they don’t have to take you away…”

The re-issue treatment really does wonders for Self, Shot Forth Living giving more clarity to the original album while dulling none of its razor sharp edge and providing a treasure trove of sonic goodies to sift through that were previously unheard or hidden on UK singles as B-Sides that were expensive to track down in the US, and while listening one kind of gets an idea for how this album evolved over time through some lineup shuffling and various other incidents from Brad Laner’s (guitarist, producer, and core member of the band) bedroom. Medicine shines on Self, Shot Forth Living, and my recommendation cannot come any more fervently; still, I will always remember that first time that they popped up on that big screen thanks to The Crow.

“No they don’t have to take you away…”