DOWNGIRLMANIC

Independent

22nd September, 2023

Oct 06, 2023 / WORDS Tiana Speter / Sounds Of The Underground

Repeat Listens!

Sydney’s DOWNGIRL are on the up with their debut EP MANIC; a raw and nostalgic collection of nu-punk and surly finesse.

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A band formed during the pandemic years, with members Skarlett Saramore (drums), Kristen Adams (vocals and lead guitar), Alex Neville (vocals and rhythm guitar), and Lou Harbidge (bass) virtually growing their sound and thematic style during the pandemic years, encompassing themes of equality, LGBTQIA+, and mental health. A flourishing femme-punk addition to the Aussie scene, DOWNGIRL have been inevitably and frequently compared to the pioneering likes of L7; and while MANIC certainly relishes in its overarching influences, DOWNGIRL also fiercely inject their own unique sense of self into their eight new tracks. From the EP’s swaggering and slinking opening track Fiend to the woozy, harmonic-laden Body, DOWNGIRL repeatedly flex the staggering strengths of all four members, balancing moments of sparse arrangements and vivid, vulnerable lyricism with crushing flourishes of intensity and upbeat anarchy.

Gifting an immersive and cohesive display of belligerence and talent, MANIC ultimately achieves a rare feat for any band on their maiden EP: a collection of hard-hitting tunes that aren’t suffocated by any external influence or inspiration.

Between gritty grunge (Beauty Queen), searing instrumental breakouts (Democracy Manifest), jangly earworms (2006), and raucous punk (Malibu Stacy), DOWNGIRL’s oscillating use of angular riffs, fuzzy tones, and visceral vocals all feverishly thrive around the stalwart Harbidge, with basslines that can transcend you from sludge to ecstasy in mere nanoseconds. Gifting an immersive and cohesive display of belligerence and talent, MANIC ultimately achieves a rare feat for any band on their maiden EP: a collection of hard-hitting tunes that aren’t suffocated by any external influence or inspiration. If you’re a fan of pop culture song titles and timely thematics set in an effusive guitar-driven wilderness, get your ears around MANIC immediately, and definitely get DOWNGIRL on your radar for some massive things to come.