Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By The Murlocs, Flightless 2021.
The Murlocs are a rock band from Melbourne and Bittersweet Demons is their fifth album.
They play a brand of indie rock that has a distinctive retro ‘60s – ‘70s sound with jangly guitars, tinny snare sound and the harp of front man, and lead singer, Ambrose Kenny-Smith front and centre to the mix.
On this 11-track album the boys have devised a series of songs about characters they have come in contact with who’ve had a profound impact on their lives.
From the opening track, Francesca, we meet an interesting array of characters, from the dangerous to the challenged and lovable.
The whole vibe of this disc takes me back to a time when music was real.
I get the impression of a bunch of lads playing together in the studio, creating live music with minimal input from the advanced technical abilities of modern technology.
The album really does have that old school vibe.
The title track is a standout but there isn’t a throw away cut on the disc.
The further you get into the album the more you realise just how sophisticated the songs are.
They are both musically and lyrically interesting which is a pleasant change from much of the high rotation pop that floods the airwaves.
Tracks like No Self Control, Dangerous Nature, and Misinterpreted are the work of songwriters and musicians who have moved on from the narrow preoccupations of teenagers.
The Murlocs are well worth checking out.
Now that I’ve heard this album I’ll delve into their back catalogue.
