Album review by Charlotte Poynton
The local kids can truly do no wrong in the music scene, and the debut album from standout sweetheart Sycco is no exception to this. Zorb, released on Friday the 23rd of August through Future Classic is a collection of tracks detailing the self-described themes of “group hugs and the drug that is love”. Zorb joins the ever-growing catalogue of cathartically queer and localised Meanjin albums to guide you through your youth, healing any scrapes on your knees from the bumps along the road.
Kicking the album off by emulating major 2000s vibes with dreamy synth and an effortlessly hooky chorus in ‘Buttered Up’, Sycco sets the tone of Zorb through lyrical gems including “All the attention, I love it, obsessed” and a bouncy, futuristic synth twinkling through the bridge.
Audiences are then invited into Sycco’s mind with the short yet sweet bop ‘I’d Love To Tell You’, detailing a blushing diary entry that has you kicking your feet up, as if you’re part of a gossip session at an eighth-grade sleepover.
Track three of ‘Meant To Be’ could easily soundtrack any journey of self-growth and identity searching, as we search for our place amongst the millions of others inhibiting this planet, finding our Zorb of people with whom we share a deep connection with. Sycco’s ‘Meant To Be’ contains the specific adolescent blend of blind optimism, unbridled imagination, and pure heartfelt love that can’t help but to evoke memories of a less complicated chapter of your life.
A groovy beat and flawlessly delivered vocal melodies on ‘Swarm’ immediately cemented this song as a standout favourite. With audible similarities to neo-soul prowess of Kaiit, ‘Swarm’ is a must-add to every “pure vibes” playlist. The second pre-chorus delivery of the lines “I miss the way you say my name, when it’s cold at night and we’re awake” is one of my favourite features on any track of Zorb, which is just one of the many things to love about this absolute head-bopping track.
Nearing on five minutes in length, the grimy ‘Bad World’ is a nod to the girls of 90’s grunge on paper and a commentary on our current chaos of a social climate in practise. Dripping in badass energy, track five onZorb introduces a grittier sound and more passive emotion to the album that previously only boasted more playful and bouncy tone colours.
“I’m Here Now” slides in at track six as our first collaboration of the album. American rapper redveil’s verse provides a striking contrast to Sycco’s smooth and melodic vocals, both accompanied by a bed of piano chords and lyrics detailing the weight of a fresh wound evoked by a break-up
A drumbeat ushers us into ‘Monkey Madness’, a slice of pop goodness perfect for fans of Charli XCX’s “brat” album. Encapsulating the chaos of your early twenties with lyrics that feel like the overheard buzzwords of passing conversations, ‘Monkey Madness’ is best consumed under the pulsing beams of your housemates LED disco lights.
Putting on her popstar boots with track eight of ‘Touching and Talking’, Sycco’s vocal melodies on this track see her stealing the crown as your next favourite indie pop girlie. With a charming Aussie accent seeping through in the chorus, Sycco sings of an all-consuming infatuation that stemmed from a mere encounter, resonating too well with the whirlwind early phases of a queer romance.
Fan favourite ‘Ripple’ with Flume and Chrome Sparks sneaks into the album at track nine, bringing its electronic goodness to the Zorb experience. Despite being released years before most of the surrounding songs, ‘Ripple’ manages to seamlessly find a place within the narrative explored within Zorb.
A stripped back track of brutal honesty, ‘Crossed My Mind’ lands as the ultimate rejection track. Entirely opposing the lyrical theme and sound of previous album tracks ‘I’d Love To Tell You’ and ‘Touching and Talking’, this sobering step into reality adds layers of vulnerability to Zorb. ‘Crossed My Mind’ also holds a similar lyrical tone to songs by fellow local favourite Hope D, making for an instant addition to my regular rotation.
Track eleven of ‘What A Wonderful Surprise’ boasts chill vibes and a feeling of blissful finality. Sonically a dizzying dreamscape, Sycco’s vocal melodies carry you through a swirling emotional comedown.
‘The End’ returns to the 2000’s psychedelia influences, standing as a track that could easily soundtrack the end of a triumphant journey or contrastingly the act of succumbing to a long-resisted fate.
Closing off Sycco’s debut album Zorb is track thirteen, titled ‘Zeitgeist’. The true zeitgeist of all the fleeting emotions and states of mind conveyed through the previous twelve tracks, ‘Zeitgeist’ feels both so nostalgic and so fresh at the same time. You can easily close your eyes and imagine the credits of Sycco’s early twenties rolling over this track, though I, for one, can’t help but wish this chapter wasn’t coming to a close here, as there is still so much more I wish to hear from this journey.
ZORB is out now
