There’s not much that can be said about Imbred that hasn’t be heard before. One of Australia’s most brash, prolific, and downright divisive artists, he’s become equally famous and infamous for his music and relentless use of Reddit. Armed with a rough, almost fractured sound that has grown over the course of twelve albums and 186,000 streams, Imbred is a musician unlike any other, and tapping into his extensive back catalogue is arguably one of the most difficult and overwhelming things you might ever do as a music lover. Thankfully, on his latest release, Imbred has taken the hard work out of sorting through his haphazard discography by releasing his first greatest hits mix, ‘Gold’.
Described as a “greatest shits album” by the man himself, the new collection brings together sixteen of his past tracks and triumphs, leading all the way back to his debut album ‘Creep’. Filled with all Imbred’s usual topics such as his experiences with love, depression, anxiety, and drugs, ‘Gold’ is, by definition, one of his best releases so far, capturing the different ages and eras that he’s released over his short, but undeniable time spent on the outskirts of the music industry.
Opening with ‘Freakshow’, Imbred launches us right back to the start of his reign, channelling the raw, destructive, and almost avant-garde sound that has gone on to echo around the world. Bringing a simple bombardment of heavy guitar and driving percussion, along with the most talked-about part of Imbred’s sound, his vocals, ‘Freakshow’ also brings with it a strange sense of nostalgia, one that resurfaces several times on the album, with tracks like ‘Bored’, ‘Creep’, ‘Depression’, and ‘Scars’ all coming back around.
For his second and third tracks on ‘Gold’, Imbred has revisited his aptly titled fourth album, ‘IV’, unleashing ‘Anxiety’ and ‘Abilify’ once again. Back when we first reviewed the album, we singled out ‘Anxiety’ as having a new level of poignancy, creating a point of evolution for Imbred’s sound, and on ‘Gold’, it’s still as strong as ever. Elsewhere on ‘Gold’, you’re thrown back into the aggressive punk sounds of ‘Ashes’, as well as some choice cuts from his most complete and polished album to date, the elevated eponymous release of ‘Imbred’. Easily one of his best tracks, ‘Valentine’s Day’ makes a welcome return, along with some of his more accomplished, even melodic pieces like ‘Loser’ and ‘Sober’.
Ending with the sombre tones of ‘Sunday afternoon’, ‘Gold’ truly is a mixed back of hits, misses, and stark original ideas. In many ways, it’s a perfect illustration of Imbred’s inimitable style, but more than that, it’s an ode to all his work over the past few years, capturing his persistence, relentless drive, and unshakable faith in his music.
Definitely, something to experience, ‘Gold’ is available now on Soundcloud and Spotify. Plus, you can join the discussion with Imbred on Reddit, with his thread now topping over 6,000 comments.
Score: 7/10
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