<p><span><span>- Few bands are as iconoclastic as Tropical Fuck Storm. Resisting classification, they have carved themselves a niche with their socio-politically charged lyrics, dissonant guitars, chilling harmonies and ominous soundscapes. Stylistic choices aside, underpinning their caustic psych-rock is a penchant for pop-hooks and literary lyrics. Their third album in four years, <em>Deep States</em> is a fitting addition to their burgeoning catalogue. While it might not be as consistent as 2019’s <em>Braindrops</em>, none of the songs on <em>Deep States</em> would feel out of place on either of the band’s predecessors. However, it feels like more of a collection of songs than a homogenous album. Maybe a crowd of tearaways, flying willfuly in every direction is exactly what we should've expected from TFS?</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>Never one to shy away from novel topics, frontman <strong>Gareth Liddiard</strong> kicks off the album with the ambitiously titled, <em>The Greatest Story Ever Told </em>which chronicles the return (or second return?) of Jesus Christ. Bombastic right off the bat, the opener hits hard with heavy guitars reminiscent of the early work from <strong>The Drones </strong>until is spirals into a cataclysmic guitar solo. Following suit, is the acronymic <em>G.A.F.F.</em> (or Give A Fuck Fatigue). The track is Liddiard at his lyrical best as he manages to intertwine moments of vitriol with intellect and humour. This is typified in the dichotomous lines, “<em>I’m not a Kamikaze</em> / <em>Don’t wanna die a martyr / I’m just looking for a latte and fucking phone charger</em>”. In the next verse, things leave the planet, as Liddiard looks to up to the skies and “<em>The Gimbals, the Tic-Tacs</em>” before focusing back down on the fundamentals with the line, “<em>There’s too much information / I can’t get an erection</em>”.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>A band keenly attuned to current events, a COVID-19 song was inevitable on their 2021 album. The result is the colloquially titled <em>Bumma Sanger</em>, with its wordplay chorus “<em>this was supposed to be a summer banger / but now it’s just another bumma sanger”.</em> Borrowing from the realities of the lockdown lifestyle, shear boredom and references to <strong>Kurt Vonnegut</strong>’s sci-fi classic <em>Cat’s Cradle</em>, Tropical Fuck Storm once again nail the topical song; a feat that only they could pull off with such gusto. Later on, penultimate track <em>Legal Ghost</em> is a change of gears and a powerful highlight. A sequel of sorts to <em>Aspirin</em> from their previous album, it is a melancholic showstopper to finish off the album with a mostly instrumental closer. All-in-all this is another extravagant effort from a peerless Australian band that, lunging crazily in all directions or not, is no doubt one of the best operating today.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>- Jon Cloumassis.</span></span></p>
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1175807585/size=large/bgcol=f…; seamless><a href="https://tropicalfstorm.bandcamp.com/album/deep-states-2">Deep States by Tropical Fuck Storm</a></iframe>