Ecca VandalEcca Vandal

Few albums of recent memory have been so eclectic, so exciting and so relentlessly daring as the debut from Melbourne trailblazer Ecca Vandal.

In ravenous excess across 12 deep and dynamic slices of millennial grandeur, Ecca Vandal throws together elements of punk, pop, hip-hop, soul, math rock and complextro—such should realistically make for a mess of jarring contrast, but against all possible odds, Ecca Vandal is so tight and keyed-in that not a single beat feels out of place, nor does a riff feel undeserved.

MORE: Ecca Vandal is our new Future Heroine 

Synth-laden club burners like Cassettes, Lies And Videotapes sit comfortably amongst sharp, searing guitar-and-drum jams like Out On The Inside; both atmospheres hold their own weight equally, but it’s clear to see which Vandal feels the most at home in. She’s a punk at heart, and it’s all-out scorchers like Price Of Living, the mosh-ready Closing Ceremony and lead single Broke Days, Party Nights that shine the brightest early on. In fusing bursts of underground punk with her urban inclinations, Vandal delivers a sound that’s unlike anything else we’ve seen hit the forefront of mainstream rock. When Refused were talking about The Shape of Punk to Come back in 1998, this is what they were referring to.

It’s not just the wall-to-wall riffs and roars that have us head over heels, though. Less abrasive cuts like Future Heroine and Dead Wait pound with a vicious, yet carefree energy that seeps deep into whatever instincts give you the urge to spontaneously bust out into dance. Though both tracks are decidedly mature, neither takes itself so seriously that you can’t lose yourself in the bassy pulses.

Vandal delivers a sound that’s unlike anything else we’ve seen hit the forefront of mainstream rock. When Refused were talking about The Shape of Punk to Come back in 1998, this is what they were referring to.

There’s an inherent scrappiness to the record; laid down in a living room setup with vocal takes recorded from under doonas, there’s a very audible mark of Vandal’s DIY inclinations painted on the record—especially in the often dusty, filter-strewn vocals. Thus leaves some of the more pop-driven tracks (Cold Of The World, End Of Time) with a biting, yet tasteful edge, and the heavier cuts with a raw personality that screams, “I will not hesitate to fuck you up in that pit.” Impressive to note is that none of the drums on the album were recorded with actual kits—every click and crash was plucked straight from a DAW.

But no matter how exciting the production on Ecca Vandal is, it all comes down to Ecca Vandal’s own meteoric vocal delivery. The first stack of tunes has her bite stone cold, spitting fire with a high-pitched rasp that gushes with absolute ferocity. But as the album starts to wind down in its latter half, we see Vandal show a striking vulnerability that only adds to the exceptional dynamism on offer. And when other voices are thrown into the mix, she becomes a whole new personality altogether.

It’s a true musical experience—one that begs to be soaked in from under quality headphones and blasted remorselessly at max volume from car stereos.

On the incandescent Price of Living, Vandal trades bars MC-style with former letlive. vocalist Jason Aalon Butler and Refused frontman Dennis Lyxzén (impressive grabs for a debut album, might we add). Despite being the underdog in that trio, she belts her way to the top with a fierce, malleable yell. Your Orbit is a slick ’n’ swervy tribute to the golden era of hip-hop (the ’90s)—a kaleidoscopic vibe-out banger that cuts deep with guest vocals from Sydney legend Sampa The Great and leaves its hottest drop-in for three minutes into the song.

At face value, Ecca Vandal is tangible proof that sometimes it pays to be indecisive; it’s a weighty record of solid tracks that defies the rules of genre to ransom an enticing new sound from an enticing new personality. But under the veneer of Ecca Vandal’s acerbic vocals and provocative beats lies an effortlessly thrilling, inescapably captivating masterpiece. It’s a true musical experience—one that begs to be soaked in from under quality headphones and blasted remorselessly at max volume from car stereos. And goddamn it, we’re gonna do both until we absolutely can’t stand this shit.

STANDOUT TRACKS: Future Heroine, Closing Ceremony, Your Orbit, Out On The Inside
STICK THIS NEXT TO: MIA, WAAX, letlive.

Ecca Vandal (the album) drops this Friday, October 20th via Dew Process/Universal Music. Pick a copy up here! 

Keen to suss the album in a more ~living~ atmosphere? Ecca Vandal is touring Oz throughout November! Grab tickets.

Friday November 3rd – Fremantle Town Hall, Fremantle WA
Saturday November 4th – Rocket Bar, Adelaide SA
Thursday November 9th – Cambridge Small Room, Newcastle NSW
Friday November 10th – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney NSW
Saturday November 11th – Rad Bar, Wollongong NSW
Thursday November 16th – Shark Bar, Gold Coast QLD
Friday November 17th – Sol Bar, Coolum QLD
Saturday November 18th – Brightside, Brisbane QLD
Friday November 24th – Karova Lounge, Ballarat VIC
Saturday November 25th – Corner Hotel, Melbourne VIC