Marcus Gordon, songwriter and singer for Australia’s Spookyland, has a voice that blends Mick Jagger’s early-’70s before-the-beat sneer with Tymon Dogg’s high-clucking tenor. This will not be to every listener’s liking. Those who can get to it, though, are going to find a solid first LP release from a group whose ambitions are signaled by the record’s blend of dark lyrics and tuneful bombast.
The simple musical structure of most of the songs is clearly by design, as Gordon’s voice and lyrics make up the center of the record. Opening with a handful of charging rockers, the record gradually settles into a more reflective mood, but the mirror often throws back a cracked face, as on the moody “Prophet” and especially closing set piece “Bulimic.” This sounds like grim stuff, but Gordon and Co. come off less dour than agitated, and even on its slower tracks, Beauty Already Beautiful has a lot of current running through it.
—Eric Waggoner
