Lo-fi, trashy and full of indomitable rock n roll spirit, Greedy & Gorgeous is the new album from Sydney-based Olivia’s World (the artistic vehicle of Alice Rezende).
It starts with Porcupine Girl which leans heavily into the obvious inspiration of acts like Sleater-Kinney and Vivian Girls. It’s minimal, raw and direct. It’s emotive and unashamed and an excellent album opener and mission statement.
As the album progresses there are wonky slacker rock moments (Baby Bathwater) excursions into modern/Rather Ripped Sonic Youth territory (Healthy & Wealthy) and moments that verge on straight-up punk rock (Sourgum).
It’s impressive the way Alice chops and changes and jumps between these sub-genres with ease. The album doesn’t sound disjointed despite its explorative nature, if anything the variety adds to its charm.
Continuing the experimentation, on Chemlab, she veers into the Weezer-esque pop-rock arena whilst incorporating additional almost goth-rock tones that could’ve been borrowed from The Cure. It must be said that there’s more than a touch of fellow Australian indie-rock heroine Courtney Barnett about Rezende’s lo-fi approach to indie-pop and adjacent sounds. This is most evident on this track as well as on Empresário (which also brings to mind, bizarrely, The B52s) and Oskar.
Rounding out the pack, Weird guy is a rock n roll stomper and Beauty Bar is as close as she comes to a ballad – tender and off-kilter, it sounds a bit like how Nico might’ve if she duetted with Frankie Rose & The Outs.
Greedy & Gorgeous is available now on vinyl via Little Lunch Records and on tape via Lost Sound Tapes.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
