There is nothing like a little bit of wackiness to kick off the weekend, and what better place to start than with this six-piece Melbourne-based outfit called Manglewurzel! It would seem that no genre is safe from the experimental clutches of this band, with blends of ska, post-punk, jazz, math rock and blues thrown together, dissected and then reassembled in their very own unique mix; it’s a marvel!
Even their name is abstract: The Mangelwurzel being a cultivated root vegetable that has multiple uses (other than food), which includes use in sport, celebration, often brewed to make a potent alcoholic beverage, and (hollowed out) is also carved and used for Halloween!..perhaps their name is more apt than I first appreciated, for they are certainly versatile and quirky, just like their namesake.
The band consists of members: Cosima Jaala (Vocals, Guitar), Loretta Wilde (Guitar, Bass, Vocals), Johnny Baird (Bass, Guitar), Charlie Woods (Trumpet), Anna Joy Gordon (Saxophone), and Christopher Windley (Drums). The sextet are currently working on a brand new album which is due out in January 2016 titled ‘Gary’.
Taken from this forthcoming release comes today’s song, ‘Fishy Fry’, which is a vibrant blast of plush guitar riffs, jubilant horns and lively rhythms, over which vocalist Cosima Jaala howls, “Are you dumb enough to be my guy?”. It’s a feast of sounds which fills the ears to brimming point, leaving just enough space to keep you wanting lots more….
Check out their Bandcamp page here
