The actions of Lambrini Girls speak louder than words. One of the first bands to pull out of SXSW in 2024 due to the controversial sponsors, they have the courage of their convictions. Many followed and it resulted in change. Passionate and principled their debut album was always going to be inspired by issues that they believe in, but what is perhaps more surprising is their brutal honestly in expressing more personal vulnerabilities. Phoebe Lunny (vocals/guitar) and Lilly Macieira (Bass) were against the clock to write this album. That pressure worked, of that there is no doubt. Written in two short bursts in rural Oxfordshire, it was subsequently recorded with Gilla Band‘s Daniel Fox. The result is a blistering debut, furious and ferocious with whip smart lyrics and humour in the absurdity of contemporary life.
Opener ‘Bad Apple’ decries the fact that the police are supposed to protect and serve but institutional corruption and cover ups are all too familiar: “Officer what is the problem. Can we only know postmortem. Not just bad apples. Its the whole fucking tree”. ‘Company Culture’ attacks sexism in the work place: “Look over my shoulder. Indecent exposure. My co-workers say I’ve got no sense of humour“. The passionate delivery suggests personal experience, the anger in both the vocals and the soundscape are no act.
Inappropriate male behaviour is explored in ‘Big Dick Energy’, a previous single which sounds like it has been re-recorded for this album, such is it’s scuzzy fury. Male entitlement is treated with a sardonic wit here, pointed and bruising “Yet you act like I’m your mother and your therapist“. Lambrini Girls rip through the tricks used to manipulate and coerce, they have a fire in their belly which explodes out through their music. A highlight of the album is ‘No Homo’ a garage rock tour de force with sharp stop start timing. Those guitars and the pacing had this reviewer hitting the repeat button over and over. Coming to terms with being gay and how to approach girls is stunningly expressed.
“I said I liked her company
But then I said no homo
I tell a lie cos she stops time
Around her I’m in slo mo
The epitome of everything
I’ll tell her how I really feel
She’d realise that it’s homo for sure”
‘Nothing Tastes As Good As It Feels’ acknowledges an eating disorder, perhaps the pressure of trying to look the “right” way. It is self deprecating and honest, the lyrics heart-breaking:
“As my head hits the rim of the toilet lid
Kate Moss gives no fucks that my period has stopped
I wish I was skinny
but I’ll never be enough”
‘You’re Not From Around Here’ highlights the negatives of gentrification, the impact of capitalist greed and its effect on community which is appropriately followed by a monologue ‘Scarcity Is Fake (communist propaganda)’. To be honest this also gives a moments breather, but Lambrini Girls are not going to waste a single second. A moments breather it may be but the time is used wisely.
‘Filthy Rich Nepo Baby’ pokes fun at nepotism in the music industry, which is becoming for those with family money. Increasingly the current model is a double edged sword: you need to work to be an artist, but to be an artist you need to do it full-time. There is humour here but the message is loud and clear, the model is broken and there are those who are simply excluded from the industry.
“Charlotte wants to sound like Blondie
But couldn’t simply book her own gigs
She’s a Baroness you see
To be an industry success
Sponsored ads, decent press
Born with a golden pot to piss in”
‘Special Different’ is searingly honest, expressing an overwhelming desire to fit in, and yet recognising that individuality is vital. The pressure to be “normal” can be overwhelming. This is an open and honest track, and tellingly gives the first truly quiet moment within a song. Intensely personal and sharing inner most thoughts there is a reference to resulting depression. Music can reach into our very souls and ‘Special Different’ provides a vital message, recognising that being different is hard, but it’s okay and others feel exactly the same.
“Alone again with no friends, I didn’t mean to cause offence
Diluted versions of myself
All these cracks, I’ve got to mend
Don’t tell me to calm down
I was born to stand out“
This is followed by ‘Love’ recognising that society dictates love and relationships as something to strive for yet they can be destructive and counter productive. Again there is a quiet moment here and again it is within a song which is expressing vulnerability. The ferocity is pared right back in these moments of introspection by Lambrini Girls, and gives the album an additional depth. The lyrics here are astonishingly heartfelt and perceptive, piercing through to the very heart of the matter:
“True love is nothing more
Than the wrong hill to die on
Psychoanalyse my attachment styles
And cross every boundary at once”
To end Who Let The Dogs Out with ‘Cuntology 101′ is pure Lambrini Girls. To use the strongest expletive to list good self care methods is frankly hilarious. This is all wrapped up in whizzing electronics and a bouncing beat, slightly tamer for the band which only proves their versatility. Lambrini Girls have produced a debut album bursting with vital issues and yet thoroughly entertaining. A band who are prepared to stand up and be counted, to be true to themselves whatever the cost. This is a whirlwind of a debut, all killer no filler with depth and consideration as well as humour and expressions of raw honesty. For the most part it is fast and furious and ferocious and fearless, and I applaud them for it.
Review: 9 out of 10
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