Australian rockers
the Murlocs are a quintet that play garage rock with a shot of rhythm & blues and just a dash of psychedelia. Featuring musicians who also work with
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard,
the Murlocs play their music with a straightforward swagger, but the songs show an eager willingness to mix up styles and influences, and they give their tunes a solid melodic foundation that adds just the right degree of pop uplift. The band were at their most straightforward on 2014's debut Loopholes, while 2016's
Old Locomotive was a more ambitious effort that added a bit more production polish, and 2021's
Bittersweet Demons was at once a more personal set of songs and a strong, rollicking LP.
The Murlocs were formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in 2010. The group's formation overlapped with that of
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, who shared a member with
the Murlocs,
Ambrose Kenny-Smith on vocals and harmonica. Joining
Kenny-Smith in the initial lineup were
Callum Shortal (from the Australian band
ORB) on lead guitar, Jamie Harmer on rhythm guitar, Andrew Crossley on bass, and Matt Blach (who also has his own project, Beans) on drums. They started out as a cover band, favoring the songs of
Ray Charles and
Creedence Clearwater Revival, but it wasn't long before they began writing and performing their own material. After making inroads as a live act, the band cut a self-titled and self-released five-song EP in 2012 recorded in a makeshift eight-track studio. Another EP, Teepee, followed later the same year.
The Murlocs struck a deal with the Melbourne-based indie Flightless Records, and the group's first full-length, Loopholes, was issued in 2014. By the time the album was recorded, Andrew Crossley had left the lineup, and
Cook Craig, who like
Kenny-Smith was also a member of
King Gizzard, took over on bass. In 2015,
King Gizzard launched a touring festival called Grizzfest, and
the Murlocs were invited to join them on the road. After completing the tour, the group got to work on their second album. 2016's Young Blindness featured another change in the personnel; rhythm guitarist Jamie Harmer was out and Mladen Milinkovic was in. It also included "Rolling On," which became a minor hit single and opened the band's work to a new audience.
2017's
Old Locomotive built on the success of Young Blindness; it featured two more successful singles, "Oblivion" and "Noble Soldier," and was their first album to chart in Australia, rising to number 15 at home. By the time it was released, Mladen Milinkovic was no longer a member of the group, and new member
Tim Karmouche (who also worked with the group
Crepes) divided his time between guitar and keyboards. In support of
Old Locomotive,
the Murlocs toured Europe for the first time. In 2019, they presented their fourth album, the relatively polished
Manic Candid Episode, which was also a chart success in Australia, topping out at number 16. That same year, the group travelled to North America for their first live dates in the United States, thanks to ATO Records striking a deal to release the album Stateside. While
the Murlocs were promoting
Manic Candid Episode on the road,
Kenny-Smith was knocked for a loop by the unexpected death of a close friend, Keegan Walker. He was still dealing with his feelings as he was writing songs for the group's next recording project, and 2021's
Bittersweet Demons was personal and contemplative in a way earlier albums hadn't been, while still maintaining their signature rock & roll sound. ~ Mark Deming