Recommended tracks: “The Actor,” “Mary’s Playing The Harp,” “Hotel TV”
Artists you may like: Bells Larsen, Darryl Kissick, Amy Millan
Australian folk group Folk Bitch Trio are continuing on from a year of touring with the release of their highly anticipated debut album, Now Would Be A Good Time. The band, consisting of Grace Sinclair, Jeanie Pilkington, and Heide Peverelle have taken their time to weave a somber sound of layered guitars and haunting vocal harmonies throughout 10 songs; each an ode to uncertainty and coming of age.
Starting off the album is the lead single “God’s A Different Sword,” a song about growing weary of yourself amongst a tide of self-doubt. As is quickly established in listening to this song, Folk Bitch Trio have refined their signature sound with layered guitars, a punchy yet simple drum and endless vocal harmonies. Having the single as the album opener gives new listeners a well-rounded taste of what the band has to offer. In “God’s A Different Sword,” the vocal harmonies provide the backbone of the song as the lead melody asks “can I be good on my own accord?” The soft and tranquil tone balances itself between coolheaded and grave.
The second song, “Hotel TV,” starts with some phased-out keys before the guitars join. Written between tour stops, the song takes a journey from the present to the past as the trio escape their exhaustion through reflections of a failed relationship. This exhaustion is well-replicated by the guitar rhythm, which drags behind the melody. The lyrics “and I had a filthy dream / To the noise of the hotel TV” further highlight the song’s narrative with the juxtaposition between the two spaces.
This will become more apparent as the album progresses, but one of the many strengths of Folk Bitch Trio is how they effortlessly travel from inconsequential imagery to thought-provoking questions. “Hotel TV” is the first song in the album to highlight this talent.
Following is another single: “The Actor.” Starting off the song is the striking line “the actor laying on the pillow next to me,” plummeting audiences into a relationship long past its passion. This failing relationship is further emphasised by the comparison of an “elastic lover… holding me so tight.” A dreamlike quality is laced throughout the single with the heavily reverbed taped guitar hiding in the back of the song. Higher harmonies that feel strangely intimate only further highlight this dreamlike sense. “The Actor” is definitely one of the more haunting songs off the album with its cryptic lyrics and stoic instrumentation.
“Moth Song” was the final single before Now Would Be A Good Time released, with another narrative woven out of detailed day-to-day observations. The line “train carriage filled up with moth” seems absurd, but it sits well in the overall sense of loneliness in the song. In the first verse, two of the trio, Gracie and Heide, are mentioned by name, which adds to the sense of intimate comfort that the entire album holds. While the song starts slow, a build of strings in the bridge adds some tension before the trio seemingly return to reality.
To signal the halfway point of the album, Folk Bitch Trio strip back the instrumentation to just their vocals in “I’ll Find A Way (To Carry It All).” This a cappella song reminds listeners of the trio’s vocal abilities, not just individually, but as a group, as the three effortlessly blend into one another. In the lyrics, you’ll find a quiet reflection on the balance between baring the emotional weight of other whilst trying to hold yourself together. The line “I’ll play the fool / just for a day” is a plead to become blissfully ignorant to the world around you for a small time. Yet, this want is deflated by the reminder that “I’ll find a way to carry it all.”
The last single from the album is “Cathode Ray,” which focuses on the fear that comes with vulnerability. Lingering guitar melodies return as the trio sing “and just for fun / you say, show me what it looks like / when you come undone.” These lines show a desire to become close to someone but a small fear to consider it real, “just for fun.” The song also centres some of the overarching motifs of the album with the ideas of doubtfulness and fear of the future.
Following “Cathode Ray” are “Foreign Bird” and “That’s All She Wrote.” The guitar melody in “Foreign Bird” takes the forefront and gives the song a more haunting tone compared to the rest of the album. This reflects the darker tone of the lyrics with lines such as “If I were a better girl / I could love it better.” In “That’s All She Wrote,” this darker tone is continued with the lines “I think she loves me / I’m like her project,” showing a mistrust of the people you should be holding the closest. These two songs show the darker depths of the album’s themes before the trio close out the record.
“Sarah” is the penultimate song and is also the second longest. The slower introduction hints at the reflective lyrics that start with “our love has fallen far away.” Following the last two songs, the faster pace of “Sarah” opens a new phase in the album as Folk Bitch Trio seemingly accept their past failures and start to look forward to the future. Lyrically, the song shifts from deprecating to a more mature outlook. This tone sets up the final song perfectly as the band start to move on from the past.
Closing Now Would Be A Good Time is “Mary’s Playing The Harp.” Starting with a single acoustic guitar, the song takes the solemn mood of the album and gives it some comfort and sanctity. By keeping the guitar bare, this closer feels like a final look back on the ending album and a transition to looking forward.
Now Would Be A Good Time is a perfect package of growing up and the development of personhood. From its hypnotic vocals to its well-versed guitar melodies, the album by Folk Bitch Trio is set to become a favourite for any folk lover.
Follow Folk Bitch Trio: Instagram / YouTube / Website / Spotify
