The debut full-length record from Parsnip is likely one of the most energetic releases of 2019. The Australian quartet's brand of indie-pop is rambunctious and ramshackle, impassioned and downright silly. When The Tree Bears Fruit, out on Trouble in Mind Records on Friday, is certainly one of the most original albums you're likely to hear this year, even if the skewed pop here sometimes takes a bit of patience to decipher.
"Lift Off" charms easily, but "Sprouts" is a bit more odd, shades of Syd Barrett wrapped around a melodic hook that's very nearly a nursery rhyme. The smooth and cooing "Soft Spot" is a breezy gem, even as the longer "Seafarer" nearly sets things back for When The Tree Bears Fruit. The players here -- Paris Richens on bass, Carolyn Hawkins on drums, Stella Rennex on guitar, and Rebecca Liston on keyboards -- exhibit a real rapport throughout the length of this record, most notably on material like "For a Ride", a number with a variety of tempos, and the blissful "Rip It Off", even as they inject this stuff with enough energy to make even the most casual of listeners at least get sucked in for a spell. When The Tree Bears Fruit is full of spry indie-pop and fans of stuff like Look Blue Go Purple and The Clean can find things to love here.
When The Tree Bears Fruit is out on Friday via Trouble in Mind Records.
More details on Parsnip via the band's official Facebook page.
[Photo: Charlotte Tobin]