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The Murlocs deliver country-rock on seventh studio album ‘Calm Ya Farm’

“We’re getting better and better at making music,” vocalist Ambrose Kenny-Smith said of The Murlocs’ new studio album Calm Ya Farm.  

The Murlocs have shared their Calm Ya Farm, a garage-punk by way of country-rock collection that serves as the band’s seventh studio album.

Spanning 12 tracks, the new project forgoes the grimier sound of the Melbourne quintet’s previous efforts, with lead vocalist Ambrose Kenny-Smith musing frenetically on state of the world around him. 

The Murlocs

Calm Ya Farm also affords space for remaining bandmates Callum Shortal on guitar, Matt Blach on drums and Tim Karmouche on keyboard and guitar. Each member brings their eccentric impulses to the record, with the resulting tracklist spanning everything from flute melodies to flamenco-guitar riffs, and dreamy Farfisa piano keys. 

“With this record we tried to steer away from all the distortion and dirt and grit, or at least let the grit come off a bit more clean-sounding,” Kenny-Smith said of Calm Ya Farm in a press statement.

Though opting for a crisper sound, Kenny-Smith — who also forms the lineup of fellow band King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard — doesn’t shy away from complex lyrics on Calm Ya Farm. 

Across each track, the vocalist reflects on topics like political discourse and conspiracy theories, with the album’s title serving as a reminder to stay afloat amid the chaos. “[Calm Ya Farm is] something my partner always says to me when I’m feeling stressed-out or anxious,” Kenny-Smith said. “It’s generally a good reminder for day-to-day life.”

The Murlocs
Credit: Izzie Austin

Anchored by country-rock, Calm Ya Farm drew inspiration from The Byrds’ Sweetheart Of The Rodeo and The Rolling StonesExile On Main St., though it possesses the kind of distinct unruly character that only The Murlocs can deliver.

The album was previewed by the single Initiative, Queen Pinky and Undone and Unashamed, and serves as a follow up to the band’s 2022 album Rapscallion. 

“It seems like we’re at a good peak at the moment, where we’re always sort of surprising ourselves with what we’re able to come up with,” Kenny-Smith reflected in a press statement. “As we keep getting older and becoming closer as friends, we’re getting better and better at making music.” 

Listen to The Murlocs’ new album Calm Ya Farm below.