I was just out of school when John Howard got into office. Scouring record shops for hours most days, I was barely aware of politics. Well, aside from bizarre Stone Roses and Gang of Four inspired flirtations with the Situationists. Nonetheless, it was immediately clear that Howard’ ascension was a surprising and portentous shift. 11 years later and what’s left to say. “People overboardâ€, “the history warsâ€, stacked decks at the ABC and the High Court, the stark contrast between jailing of refugees in isolated detention centres and the government’s defence of executives caught up in the AWB fiasco. The duplicity is astounding. Especially considering beacons of dissent have been neutered (“voluntary student unionism’, “Workchoices’) and protests by ordinary and extraordinary Australians are now regularly ignored by the powers that be, while vocal lobby groups define policy. It’s enough to make anyone angry. Really angry. Except if you’re just worn out and used to being ignored.
It’s a strange state of affairs in the lead-up to an election most pundits expect to unseat the government. This is no political journal, but my preamble’ an essential background to Sydney-based producer Mostyn’ new single. On “Goodnight Mr. Howard’ Mostyn teams up with vocalist Quro – both were part of Adelaide group the Fuglemen, and later in Sydney, Reference Point. Quro’s recent output has been stunning, from unexpected appearances on records by Lawrence English (Object’s Pandemic) and Groovescooter (a cover of Shriekback’ “My Spine (Is The Bassline)’) through to songs like “Who Are You?’ and “No Way To Live’, he has been responsible for songs with a poetry that stands out from the often wooden lyricism of Australian hip-hop.
“Goodnight Mr. Howard’ is a message song, obviously; Quro reels off the results of the PM’ tenure in plain English, and the whole thing rolls along over a live-feeling hip-hop groove. Mostyn’s production is assured, but understated. In contrast, Quro predicts the government’s downfall with the assuredness of a weather reporter (“Goodnight Sir / Goodnight Mr Howard”). There’s no conviction, or any specific answers, and without those things a song like this needs passion. While Quro’ rich voice complements sophisticated and textural lyrics, he is not a passionate vocalist. Far from it. In this mode, he seems detached, even condescending and aloof. It’s an opportunity missed, but perhaps that’s par for the course when even the most confident pundits are gun-shy having been proven wrong before by Howard.
Matthew Levinson
