What Planet Do You Come From? A Quick Review Of The Debut Album From Brisbane's Babaganouj (Hatchie)

The first song on Jumbo Pets from Babaganouj sounds like an Australian band. I don't know what the hell I mean by that either, but it does. The Brisbane band make robust and punchy (in the right way) alt-rock, that's also catchy as hell. Jumbo Pets is their debut and it's out on Friday via Coolin' By Sound.

"What Planet Do You Come From?" roars out of the gate, backing vocals from Harriette Pilbeam (Hatchie) taking this one to a special place, while "Dag" finds lead singer Charles Sale entering territory that's not entirely dissimilar to that marked out by Paul Westerberg earlier. There's a worn-out charm to this band's material that makes this all have a wonderfully natural vibe, such that there's really no dud on the whole record. "Loveworn", for example, tones down the guitars to let the band have space to let the melody expand. The song's heartfelt, but not silly, and it's a delightful bit of business that sounds a little like Gin Blossoms.

For all that's straightforward here in the world of Babaganouj, the woozy "She Wears Velvet" indicates the capability of this band to take things elsewhere. The vocals of Pilbeam anchor this, but the whole track spins around her voice with admirable abandon. For all that I liked about the direct numbers on this album, this was a highlight too. Still, there's a lot of charm to every track on Jumbo Pets, with Babaganouj revealing a dexterity that's impressive. Pieces of this will seem familiar, sure, but lots more will hit a listener in a way that feels fresh. As for me, I dug the whole record. A lot.

Jumbo Pets by Babaganouj is out on Friday via Coolin' By Sound.

[Photo: Coolin' by Sound]