Thirsty Curses Make Us Think About The Pitfalls Of Elvis Presley In The Upbeat Downstrokes Of "Memphis"

This Is The Second Single From The Band's Upcoming Album Frank-N-Stein

Thirsty Curses is a rock ‘n roll group formed in Raleigh, North Carolina, back in 2017. Wilson Getchell acts as the frontman of a band that also features bassist Clayton Herring and a rotating cast of players. Since their inception, Thirsty Curses has released four studio albums, with a fifth called Frank-N-Stein that’s planned to drop July 9th. The second single from this imminent LP is called “Memphis,” and quite succinctly reflects what makes Thirsty Curses so intriguing and fun to hear.

At their core, the band has serious rock chops with a drawling vocalist in Getchell whose yawl conveys an emotion somewhere between Ty Segall and the late ‘90s/early ‘2000s pop punk and emo bands of the period. In the spirit of the latter, Thirsty Curses also come equipped with a nodding wink of humor that brings a grin without ranging into overt parody. “Memphis” brings all this together, with Getchell manning the piano in the cups of his loneliness, wanting to move to Memphis with Elvis Presley as motivation to help break the downward cycle he’s in.

The tempo abruptly kicks up into an almost lounge-y swing, but don’t let the pacing fool you. Beneath this, Getchell bemoans plans that have failed, dreams turning into nightmares, and thinking from the bottom of a glass perhaps his next step might be his last. At first, the inclusion of Elvis as a theme in “Memphis” seems simply like a way to include a sarcastic undercurrent to the track, but (to me) the reality comes off much darker. Especially when you know more about the career of Elvis Presley.

While the man so many knew (and still know) as The King sold countless records, helped define the rock’n’roll genre, and achieved fame beyond measure, that rise came at a stiff cost. His handlers controlled almost every move he made, and Presley’s descent into severe addiction to various painkillers to cope with his celebrity status was seemingly enabled at every turn. This also wasn’t helped by the icon’s weight issues, which frequently fluctuated.

All this to say, it feels like Getchell’s look toward Presley and “Memphis” echoes some of the pond ripples of The King’s path. Is his work and what resulted for the man a blessing for inspiration, or a curse that only leads to being dragged further down into the waters that will ultimately drown you from the shackles on your feet? I could also be overthinking the lyrical topic at hand. Elvis is an iconic figure who continues to hold tremendous sway in all of music history. That can be a lifeline to stay afloat during choppy waters, for both better and for worse.

Whatever the ultimate backstory is behind “Memphis,” Thirsty Curses still create a hook-handy song here that fuses a grooving, lounge-pop brightness with a darker implied pathway hidden around and between the lines. This leads to plenty of food for thought, and a preview to a record in Frank-N-Stein that promises plenty more impending twists and turns for listeners willing to turn up the dial. Wilson Getchell and his group have the kind of sound paintings I think you’ll really appreciate, and I recommend starting here with “Memphis.” Do it for The King.