Inciting one of its many attributes in the title,
Feral
is the second album by charismatic Australian indie rock outfit
Romy Vager Group
, or
RVG
. Rising out of the Melbourne suburbs with an urgent blast of lush, '80s-inspired college rock, wiry post-punk, jangly new wave, and garage thump, they made an auspicious debut with their independent 2017 debut,
A Quality of Mercy
, which, in lieu of a studio, was recorded live to tape on the floor of their local rock club. Between frontwoman
Romy Vager
's eccentric songwriting and the band's dynamic vigor,
quickly earned a reputation and teamed up with
Fire Records
for their follow-up release. Recorded and produced by
Victor Van Vugt
(
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
,
PJ Harvey
),
adds only a slight bit of studio luster to what is essentially still a tight guitar band playing live. Like some strange hybrid of
the Go-Betweens
the Soft Boys
, and
Pixies
's songs are rife with melodic guitar lines and lyrics that bounce between wry absurdism, deep personal strife, and the unruly state of politics. Undercutting her despair with a macabre sense of humor,
Vager
sets the tone on album-opener "Alexandra," singing over clamorous heavily-reverbed guitars, "come Monday morning, you may find me dead, you may not find my body, but you may find my head in a motel closet or under a motel bed." With its electric drill sound effects and crazy laughter, "Christian Neurosurgeon" is an oddly rousing gem while the more contemplative "Perfect Day" has wistful hints of late-'80s
Echo & the Bunnymen
. Through it all,
and her band cut a jagged line through punk fervor, pop charm, and rock backbone, turning in an album that is equal parts ferocious, funny, and moving. ~ Timothy Monger