Set aside the Epstein files, rogue Randy royals and whether Brigitte Macron has a winky or a pippy — the talk of the town is Scandal Tree and their stellar debut album, Never Look a Gift Foot in the Mouth.
These Brisbane boys have made a big splash in recent months with three ripper singles and video clips that have stunned — and in one or two cases, mildly traumatised — reviewers, podcasters and influencers. Now their debut album is set to be a very satisfying cherry-popper.
Treading the fine line between not-too-heavy and not-too-light, Scandal Tree have conspired to create a unique sound and creative vision with the potential for broad appeal. To date, many have tried to slot the band into a musical category or liken them to a “sound”; however, Scandal Tree’s music stubbornly resists comparison.
“I don’t think we have it in us to stick to a particular style or formula,” says frontman Huck. “We’re more like cats chasing a laser pointer. If someone comes up with a riff or idea we dig, we just chase it.”
Rumbling, energetic and always mischievous, their ten-song offering shifts through styles, gears and worlds seamlessly, drawing you deeper with every beat. Each track is wrapped in a shrewd musical arrangement that introduces listeners to odd characters, moody landscapes and uncommon historical backdrops.
The lead single, Tooth Fairy, explores addictive behaviour and desperate withdrawal through the avatar of an imaginary creature craving the taste of milk teeth. “Yum, yum, yummy, yum!” the band chants in sinister unison. Rich guitar crunch, rhythmic punch, a splash of harmonica and brooding vocals sustain the song’s momentum and menace, building to a chaotic, unsettling outro.
The second single from the album, Ava Don’t Cry, steps up the tempo and delivers some pretty nifty riffing and vocal gymnastics. The song is pure energy with a tongue-in-cheek bite. In the video, Ava is the illicit and coveted inflatable doll in a prison; in the song alone, she could be the sister of a condemned prisoner about to fry. Either way, it seems imperative that Ava keeps those tears in her eyeballs.
A pervasive wry smile runs through Scandal Tree’s work, even on the more serious tracks. Skin in the Game, a super-catchy mid-tempo number, offers a gritty portrait of unloving streets, struggling souls and the rising number of homeless families. Twenty-O-Six captures the disillusionment of a factory worker in 1976 dreaming about what life might be like in 2006 — a creative investigation loaded with angst that can easily break hearts at 129 beats per minute. Both tracks navigate the bitter and the sweet with laser precision. (Incidentally, the supporting video for Skin in the Game is a masterclass in DIY music-video making.)
Every track on Never Look a Gift Foot in the Mouth is a curveball — but never a departure. The glue that holds these songs together is Scandal Tree’s instinct for convention; the magic lies in how delightfully unconventional they are. Critics may struggle to categorise Scandal Tree, but listeners will have no trouble enjoying the ride.
The scandal has surfaced. With today’s release, Scandal Tree solidify themselves as one of Australia’s most compelling emerging voices in rock.
Available now on all major streaming and download platforms.