Get ready to become Wormiez! Meanjin alt-rock quintet Worm Girlz deliver their searingly witty and sharply authentic self-titled debut — our LOUD WOMEN album of the month!
A little indie, a little 90s, a little pop, the powerful vocal harmonies and conversational talk/singing remind me a bit of the Last Dinner Party meets Olivia Rodrigo. But with fourteen songs on this debut, you’ll find the band drawing from plenty of different sources to deliver their powerful messages.
Regarding the album the band says:
“This is for the wormz, girlz, gayz and theyz. We are so honoured by the beautiful community that has formed around our music. We dedicate this album to the wormz who came before us; the transgender community, people of colour, drag queens, and of course the rest of the LGBTQIA+ community, who have all fought throughout history to make the world a better place.”
As we know, most great art comes from having a strong point of view, and this album has it in spades. Made up of the commanding rhythm section of Angie Gale and Nikolai Bray, the shredding guitars of Isabella Wood-de-Melo, and the soaring twin vocals of Jade Montgomery and Lauren Rowe, this non-binary fem group is honest, refreshing, and writes incredibly catchy songs.
One particular delight is ‘Don’t’ with its hilarious warning about the male gaze paired with an ending of choir like angelic vocals.
Despite the sometimes dark issues being discussed this is actually one of the most fun albums I’ve ever listened to. Just listen to ‘Working Hard Boys’, it’s so sarcastic it’s basically made for screaming along to with your bestie.
Also, I’ve been bemoaning the lack of diversity in the guitar world, so it makes me really excited to hear such solid guitar solos and riffing in this group, especially on ‘Jackie’.
I liked this album so much I’m considering getting on plane so I can see this band before they get any bigger. Check the album out!
Upcoming live dates:
14 November – Lulie Tavern, Naarm/Melbourne VIC
15 November – Blute’s Bar, Meanjin/Brisbane QLD
5 December – Oxford Art Factory, Gadigal/Sydney NSW
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