Live Review: Spookyland ‘Bulimic’

What do you get if you hole an Australian rock band up in a Mid-Western Nebraskan recording studio for a while? A sorrowful lament on the ‘total refusal of life’, that will make you feel good about yourself.

That sounds oxymoronic but it’s not. It’s just that SPOOKYLAND are a refreshing shock of energy and their single ‘Bulimic’ will stir up a whirlpool of emotions that’ll leave you feeling a little dumbstruck.

It’s frontman Marcus Gordon’s voice that primarily punctures through on first listen; it enraptures you in its uniqueness and delivery. Although at a totally different pitch and timbre, it’s got that same sit-up-and-listen-to-me guttural quality as we hear in the likes of King Krule.

The lyrics are abrasive, arresting, honest, almost grotesque but important. Gordon despairs at the social friction his youthful eyes have already witnessed, as he describes 'two fingers jammed down / the gag reflex of your godless animalness'. His languid half-rhymes like ‘it got you sore but got you gorgeous’ are memorable and clever, supported by beautiful warm rock drums and guitars and cymbal crashes.

The track is sparse yet wholesome, industrial and dirty, yet in parts as refreshing as a smacking coastal breeze. It’s the song I needed to listen to all day, something to rattle you up and make you respond emotionally.

‘Bulimic’ is the first taste from the band’s forthcoming debut album, which is set to be released on the Play It Again Sam label.

Words by Katie Rowley

LISTEN TO MORE NEW MUSIC HERE

SEE ALSO:

CITY CALM DOWN 'RABBIT RUN'

SPOOKYLAND 'THE SILLY FUCKING THING (RAINBOW CHAN COVER)'