We all have a friend who’s a bit of a mess – and if you don’t, then chances are it’s you. Those walking disasters who make questionable decisions, lose track of what they’re doing, or simply refuse to behave the way they’re “supposed to” are exactly the kind of people Debbie Christ celebrate on new single Messy Woman. Even better, it comes with one of those videos you can watch on repeat while thinking: “Yep. That could absolutely be me.”
Musically, Debbie Christ land somewhere between bright, danceable new wave and a lighter, more colourful strain of post-punk. The guitars are dry, the rhythm section keeps things moving, and Clara O’Page delivers the whole thing with a brilliantly theatrical vocal performance. There’s some of The B-52’s campy cheekiness in there, as well as a touch of the slicker, glam-leaning punk we associate with Blondie. It never feels especially dark or aggressive. This is post-punk with colour, movement and a sense of humour.
That fits perfectly with the lyrics, which are all about learning to live with your own imperfections. Messy Woman came out of a period shaped by shame, insecurity and the weight of the past, but O’Page turns that baggage into a declaration of self-worth. We’ve got scars. We’ve made terrible decisions. We’ve got complicated histories. And guess what? We’re still worthy of love.
The video takes that idea and runs wild with it. Campy, trashy and gloriously John Waters-esque, it follows Clara around Montreal as she does pretty much everything a respectability-obsessed society would tell her not to do, while a group of pearl-clutching guardians chase her around in horror. The ending is pure chaos: Clara ends up pissing on them like some punk-rock Manneken Pis and, after the initial disgust, they start enjoying it. Naturally.
In a world that is constantly telling us we’re too loud, too much, too difficult or simply doing life wrong, Debbie Christ offer a much better idea: we are gloriously imperfect, and our past is part of what made us who we are. Being a messy woman isn’t a flaw. It’s part of the charm.
And, honestly, all the messies I know are full of personality, love and the kind of energy that gets under your skin. I couldn’t live without them.
Or could they live without me?
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