MUSHROOM GIANT - Owls
The MUSHROOM Just Grew Bigger
Written by: Rod Whitfield - Independent | Tuesday 08 February 2022
The word ‘underrated’ gets bandied around a lot, and sometimes it’s very much warranted and accurate. Such is the case here. Believe it or not, this Melbourne-based all-instrumental act have been plying their skilful trade, releasing fabulous music and putting on intense live shows for two decades. They’ve never really attained the broader level of recognition they richly deserve. But, thankfully, that hasn’t stopped them, and we the listeners who have sat up and taken notice have been the very happy beneficiaries.
Pictured: Derek Richards Craig Fryers, Trent Horwood + Simon Wade
Photo by: Djames Photocrafe
The Review
And now, they are set to release their fourth long-player (they have also released five EPs). Lead off single Owls is exactly what you’d expect from this band if you’re familiar with them. Being completely vocal-free (of course) and just shy of nine and a half minutes long, it’s about as distant from being a commercially viable single as you can imagine. But this band doesn’t care, they just do their thing. And that ‘thing’ is to create powerful, compelling, stoner-influenced instrumental post-rock music. For themselves, more than anything, and then if other people happen to enjoy it, that’s a bonus.
Owls is one of those astute, dextrous pieces of music that manages to be dynamic, to ebb of flow beautifully over the course of its epic length while still building to a riveting climax. That climax, in this instance, comes at around the six to seven minute mark. When the heavy guitars are roaring, it truly sends shivers through you, before it drops back to an irresistibly furry solo bassline that leads into an ambient outro, replete with a sweet, floating guitar line that also give you the shivers (just in a very different way). It’s a very tempting entrée before the main course is served.
Owls certainly won’t be played on mainstream radio, but it should, by all rights, capture the attention of afficionados of this, very niche style of music the world over.
I think we need to insert the word ‘criminally’ into the underrated equation here.
Pictured: Trent Horwood, Craig Fryers, Simon Wade + Derek Richards
Photo by: Djames Photocrafe