Spew by Pink Goldfish

‘Spew’, the debut full-length album from Perth, Western Australia’s Pink Goldfish, follows a year after their debut EP, 2021’s ‘You’d Be Wet, Too, If You Lived In The Ocean’. And while the album still contains that familiar tongue in cheek alt-punk, Spew sees Pink Goldfish’s sound continue to expand with time and experience, resulting in more complex song structures, as well as the introduction of additional songwriters, providing a more variable listen from start to finish. The album showcases four vocalists across the 11 tracks, but this musical growth and diversity in songs somehow still manages to sound like the Pink Goldfish you expect.

Similar to the previous EP, all songs on the album are Pink Goldfish back catalogue tracks, written around 2014 with the original band lineup and played at venues across the city in the years following. However, with these songs finally being recorded many years later, they have also received a facelift. Re-energised by the contributions from guitarist and audio engineer Jeff, they remain familiar while also sounding better than ever before.

Pink Goldfish’s first ever singles released in 2017 all appear here as well in re-mixed and slightly altered form. The driving alt-rock of Grammy-snub ‘Roses Lately’ opens the album, while the catchy indie hipster tones of ‘Untitled’ and the in-your-face water cooler punk of ‘Gossip Gary’ at tracks 3 and 4 keep the first half of the album upbeat and entertaining. Sandwiched in between is ‘Dairy Farm’, a riff-heavy song that, in true Pink Goldfish style, probably should have never been written, let alone released, due to its ridiculous and revolting lyrics.

‘Restricted To The Earth’ provides a change in pace and the requisite c-word of the release, before ‘Carrots’, a song about pickles, picks up right where the EP left off. The second half of the album sees ‘Gut Feeling’ shifting things completely, with a crooning six-minute love story to tell the kids about. ‘Cosmic Shit Talk’ does exactly what it says on the tin, before old favourite ‘My Owner’ jolts you from your daydream. ‘Awkward Boner’ brings back those uncomfortable teenage memories, before ‘Into Atlantis’ closes the album on a high, with proggy riffs accompanying an historical, long-lost field recording from a past adventurer.

Spew is self-deprecating, a chance to look at yourself and laugh. Spew is messy, but a cleansing of mind, body and soul. Spew is misery, regret, relief and reinvigoration all at once. Spew is relatable and unforgettable.

*Best enjoyed while jumping on a trampoline after a lunch of burgers and milkshakes, in the laneway after closing time at the bar, or after calling in sick to work (whether genuine or not).

Occasionally witty, often nonsensical, but always ridiculous alternative punk from Perth, Western Australia.

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