Uncover Melbourne’s Vibrant Folk Scene: Introducing Folk Bitch Trio

“Right now would be great,” suggests the title of this debut album that gets straight to the point. However, despite a flawless beginning with (God’s a Different Sword), the three musicians from Melbourne do not immediately reveal the full extent of their apparent skill. It is in the final third of the album, starting with the ascent of a distant bird (Foreign Bird) followed by the rhythmic and disillusioned lament That’s All She Wrote (a piece shimmering with desert and Mediterranean hues), that one truly witnesses the emergence of a soon-to-be essential group.

The Folk Bitch Trio, consisting of Gracie Sinclair, Jeanie Pilkington, and Heide Peverelle, features three voices that interact to navigate the realms of the sweet and the bitter (“It was so sweet/How did it get so sour” from the a cappella of I’ll Find a Way), with a zest reminiscent of the great Jarvis Cocker. Despite the welcome humor in their tracks, one should not be misled by the group’s playful name: their songs are as finely crafted as those by Laura Veirs or Lucy Dacus.

Beauty of Arrangements vs. Sharpness of Lyrics

At times, their work may remind one of another trio, Boygenius – suggesting that these Aussies have some genius too. Evidence of their talent can be found in gems like Cathode Ray, and the aforementioned Foreign Bird, which heralds an album ending full of promises. Regardless of the relative caution (a beauty in the arrangements and harmonies that only partially mirrors the sharpness of the lyrics) that precedes these wonders, they are enough to make us eagerly await more news from these distant songstresses.

Now Would Be a Good Time (Jagjaguwar/Modulor). Released on July 25.