“Last Legs”, a tune by the Virginia-based indie rock/folk outfit Feral Conservatives, is refreshing for many reasons, but perhaps most fittingly on this day, 17 March, because it is delightfully unlike the kind of music one is bound to run into. Yes, with it being St. Patrick’s Day, the streets of cities worldwide will be aflood with C-grade variations on Dropkick Murphy’s, all cantankerous choruses and boozy sentiment. With “Last Legs”, Feral Conservatives have written themselves a tune that’s just as, if not more, catchy and sing-alongable as any of those Irish-themed punk tunes, but without any of the overwrought sentiment of the holiday. A buoyant mood and chiming mandolin chords make this tune both a perfect break from the leprechaun-centric festivities and an ideal accompaniment for the sunnier days we’re all now seeing.
Vocalist and mandolin picker Rashie Rosenfarb tells PopMatters about the tune: “When writing ‘Last Legs’, I had just fallen for someone but was feeling weighted down by my own baggage and rough edges. I felt a push and pull between wanting to grow and become a better person with them and just falling on my face and letting them down with the weight of all my old problems. I guess the saying goes, ‘We always hurt the ones we love.’ So the song is about that. The video captures the feeling of breaking free of that — from experiencing the scrutiny and claustrophobia of an interrogation through the many cameras, to ultimately releasing the bonds.”
The Feeling Noise Becomes is out now; you can stream and purchase it via Bandcamp below.