Fearless Fragility: Exploring the depths of Cash Savage and the Last Drinks’ So This Is Love

Cash Savage and the Last Drinks, the beloved Australian band known for their quintessential alt rock and witty storytelling, have once again captured the hearts of music lovers with their much-anticipated new album, So This Is Love. The album, with its distinct slacker-rock sound and genre-defying blend of folk, indie rock, and grunge, is already gaining critical acclaim, and the focus single, ‘$600 Short On The Rent’, hits particularly hard in the current socio-economic climate of rising costs and housing crises.

In classic Cash Savage style, the song’s lyrics are introspective and candid, delving into the theme of fragility that runs through the entire album like a faultline. Cash’s unique vocal delivery, with its subtle deadpan and conversational style, adds to the authenticity and relatability of the music. The song captures the fragility of mental health, the economy, the environment, and personal relationships, all on the brink of collapse and threatening to crack under pressure.

The cataclysmic centrepiece of the album, ‘$600 Short On The Rent’, is a harrowing document of the mental fragility that can shatter our defenses of denial and pretense. The lyrics, “It’s someone else’s problem, it can’t be mine”, underscore the struggle to come to terms with personal disaster and the recognition that “the rot” has set in. The “rot” symbolizes the self-shattering experience of depression, which Cash Savage fearlessly explores in this album.

In a statement, Cash reflects on the realities of mental fragility and the challenges faced as a songwriter amidst turmoil and despair. She acknowledges that depression infiltrates every aspect of life, from relationships to memories to self-worth and creativity. Her newfound understanding of mental health and compassion for those who go through it shines through in the poignant lyrics and raw emotion of ‘$600 Short On The Rent’ and the entire album.

Cash Savage and the Last Drinks have once again demonstrated their prowess as storytellers and musicians, weaving together themes of fragility, vulnerability, and the human experience with their signature style. So This Is Love is a standout album that continues to solidify their status as one of Australia’s most beloved and critically acclaimed bands, earning them well-deserved praise from music enthusiasts and critics alike.