Parsnip - "The Babble"
Australia has a long history of producing excellent indie pop. Bands from down under (I’m also lumping in New Zealand here) were a force to be reckoned with on the airwaves of college radio in the 1980s. Their prominence amongst independent music circles carried over into the new millennium through label outfits like Chapter Music, which provided a platform for stellar bands like Dick Diver, Twerps, Beaches, and The Stevens. Melbourne’s Parsnip are a part of this lineage. They came about in the latter stages of the last decade, releasing their debut 7-inch Health in 2017, which folks lauded for its melodic prowess and playfully jangle guitars, both of which triggered memories of all the great bands from their homeland that preceded them. Since then, they released a stellar full-length called When The Tree Bears Fruit and a few other 7-inch EPs singles, but the band has been relatively quiet post-pandemic. Thankfully, the quartet came roaring back earlier this year with two new tracks, “The Light” and “Turn To Love.” Most recently, they shared an airy, baroque-inspired number called “The Babble.”
“The Babble” is more vibrant and psychedelic sounding than what we’re used to from Parsnip. Their prior output evoked the pared-back, ramshackle feelings of Flying Nun acts like The Clean and Look Blue, Go Purple, but the time between releases seems to have heralded a new direction for the band. “The Babble” boasts a colorful, varied sonic palette, featuring whistles, Farfisa-like organ, graceful melodies, and playful vocal harmonies. The instrumentation feels engrossing, with the rhythm section boosting a dynamic guitar and keys interplay. Lyrically, the song is inspired by the online word game phenomenon Wordle, and more broadly about wordplay and deception.
Stream the track below!
“The Babble” will appear on Parnip’s forthcoming album, Behold, which is out now via Anti Fade Records. You can order a copy on vinyl via Bandcamp. The album is also available on all streaming platforms. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram.
