The Murlocs – Rapscallion

By Emy Gladden |Top Tracks: Bellarine Ballerina, Virgin Criminal, Bowlegged Beautiful 

Only a year after the release of their previous album, Bittersweet Demons, Australian blues rock band The Murlocs came back full force with Rapscallion. Rapscallion sees the band’s style progress from blues rock to full-on rock n’ roll. Hard rock songs like “Bellarine Ballerina” show a harsh contrast to the band that brought us ballads such as “Bittersweet Demons” only a year prior, although the ballads are still present with the aptly named “The Ballad of Peggy Mae.” Present on the album is what sounds like either a synthesizer or a theremin, which compliments lead singer Ambrose Kenny-Smith’s trademark blistering harmonica. 

Regarding the discography of The Murlocs, Rapscallion is rivaled only by 2019’s Manic Candid Episode in its pure energy. It’s easy to tell that the band had fun writing and recording the album, and it shows. From the first minute of “Subsidiary” to the last minute of “Growing Pains,” Rapscallion is a rollercoaster of rock all the way through. We’ll see what the future holds for The Murlocs now that they’ve released what potentially is their greatest album yet.