Music / Premieres
Premiere:
Lafferty Daniel - Smoke Yourself Thin
Words by James Lynch
Tuesday 23rd November, 2021
Back with his first new music since 2019, today we’ve got the pleasure of sharing a first spin of Lafferty Daniel’s new single ‘Smoke Yourself Thin’, a turbo-charged garage-pop blitz that’s haphazard and over-the-top in all the right places.
After introducing himself to the world with a sprint of releases across 2019, the past couple of years have been a bit quieter for Lafferty Daniel. In the meantime, his alter-ego Jack Foy has kept busy working on music with Hobsons Bay Coast Guard, Hallie and Suzi; however, it turns out that throughout the break Foy’s hyperactive musical mind has been ticking away as he begins to reveal the the next chapter of his eccentric solo project.

The first in a string of singles to come over the next months, ‘Smoke Yourself Thin’ picks up right where LD’s last EP Boring Twenties left off, loaded with urgent grooves, addictive vocals and a tangle of techni-coloured guitar work. This time around though, things feel a little punchier and the hooks even sharper; revealing that the cogs of Lafferty Daniel’s songwriter have somehow been tightened even further to make every haphazard tempo shift and razor-sharp left turn feel all the more masterful. While the performance is instantly charming and brimming with assurance, lyrically the themes are far more self-deprecating and turbulent - yet, as Lafferty cleverly wrangles the track’s honesty with his tongue-in-cheek humour and a charismatic wink, ‘Smoke Yourself Thin’ comes across as playful as it is compelling.

Speaking about the track, Jack shares, “‘Smoke Yourself Thin’ is a song about body issues and self-image. Everyone has these ideas about how they feel they should look, and the perceived imperfections they notice in themselves. It can be really easy to fall into unhealthy habits and coping methods in order to achieve your desired goal. The title comes from a throwaway Simpsons gag where Troy McClure names it as one of the self-help tapes he appeared in. The fast, whacky sound of the song juxtaposed with the darker themed lyrics highlights how the narrator is aware his habits are bad for him, but still sees it as his best option.”

'Smoke Yourself Thin' is out in all the usual places today.