SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: TOPSY TURVY – BUTT SORE

TOPSY TURVY
BUTT SORE
SILUH RECORDS

Reinventing the modern alternative music scene, Viennese indie rock darlings Topsy Turvy have released their debut album Butt Sore. The group, made up of guitarist Theresa Strohmer, drummer Lena Pöttinger, and bassist Victoria Aron, create a refreshingly quirky sound that is one in itself. Listeners were given a taste of what is no doubt going to be Topsy Turvy’s defining sound with the singles “Oh So Calm!” and “Marcelino” in the lead-up to the album’s release.

The 11-track album, produced by fellow musician Peter T. of Euroteuro, is jam-packed with bright and infectious rhythms. The influence of ‘50s and ‘60s surf rock, as well as ‘80s punk rock is evident throughout the whole album. However, for the most part this serves as a base for their sound, with the album as a whole acting almost as a collage of musical inspiration. Tracks like the opening “Toscana Italia” as well as “Possession Depression” have an air of psychedelia, “Dextro Energy” has the unmistakable energetic hum of indie pop, and “Toads On Roads” features a blues-tinged rhythm.

Through Butt Sore, Topsy Turvy manage to seamlessly meld the classic sound of surf rock with vocals that encompass the blunt and rebellious sound of classic riot grrrl music. Despite hailing from Austria, the songs are all sung in English with the girls’ Viennese twang adding a certain je ne sais quoi which only enhances the unique sound that is Topsy Turvy. The tracks, which are mostly instrumentally driven, feature playful melodies that distract from the rather serious themes of growing up, anxiety, and depression. The album itself flows from one track to the next seamlessly, taking the listener on a nostalgia-infused musical journey.

All in all, this quirky reinvention of alternative music sets Topsy Turvy apart from the rest when it comes to the current indie music scene.

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