Babe Rainbow’s kaleidoscopic “Acid and Honey” pays homage to psychedelic rock’s classics while keeping in touch with what’s hip in the scene, blending old-school psych tradition with the woozy, groove-heavy sound of their forthcoming seventh studio album.
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Stream: “Acid and Honey” – Babe Rainbow
It was more than clear from the start that we had something special when it came to Australian psychedelic rock all-stars Babe Rainbow.
Over the years, the band have hit number 18 on the ARIA charts, released six studio albums, and captivated the psychedelic scene. They even had Stu Mackenzie of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, the undeniable kings of modern psych-rock, producing their debut record, The Babe Rainbow. Their hypnotic blend of psychedelic, folk, and surf rock has produced dozens of hit singles that have met and shattered the million-stream threshold. Quite simply, they have been legends from the start.
Now, just one short year after the release of their sixth studio album, Slipper Imp and the Shakaerator, Babe Rainbow are beginning to tease a new record. The band have already dropped several singles off the album, including “Waterfall” and “Polymuscalsaccharide.” It’s ok; I’m not really sure how to pronounce that either, but the one that has caught my attention most is the title track, “Acid and Honey.” Babe Rainbow frontman Ango Mango (Angus Dowling) has called their upcoming record “a personality machine [on which] you can create your own vibe,” and that open-ended spirit seems to be the driving force behind “Acid and Honey.”
Just like.. you know enough
Its your life.. you know enough
Drive fast.. you know enough
Not fast enough.
Acid and honey
In the sun i’m laughing
Acid and honey na na na na
(All i need forever)
Released June 11th via Eureka Music, “Acid and Honey” is a six-minute and six-second-long psychedelic symphony. Of course, Babe Rainbow are known for their retro psych-folk style; however, this is no “Secret Enchanted Broccoli Forest.” We’ve lost the acoustic guitars, the sitars, the buffet of a rhythm section – drums and castanets, claps and tambourines – and the funky bass. What we have is something much more modern than the music Babe Rainbow have become known for. It’s weeping guitars ran through compressors and wah-wah pedals, it’s dueling synths and lo-fi beats with jarring vocal effects scattered throughout. It is somehow both incredibly in touch with everything that defines modern psychedelic rock and tastefully influenced by Roger Waters-era Pink Floyd.
We even see this from a lyrical standpoint, as the vocals here are much less cohesive or linear than is typical of a Babe Rainbow song. There are exactly two verses in this track that are taken for a walk throughout the tune. These verses are repeated over the course of the song with changing inflection and tone, which breathe life into each word. Much like the music, the vocals are an oscillating demonstration of how a fairly simple track can be twisted and stretched into an array of different forms, only to be molded back into the shape you first found it in. The exploration of a limited set of lyrics is terribly reminiscent of the jam band-influenced psychedelic rock of the ‘60s, while the undulating vocalizations and harmonies are a cornerstone of the dreamy modern psychedelic sound.
That looseness also feels baked into the way Babe Rainbow approach recording. “If we’re going in to record something, we’ll rehearse like two weeks or more because we’re learning new songs and trying to give them personality and feel, and play it from the heart,” Dowling has said.
“Acid and Honey” is a living, breathing track, a perfect jam.
It’s the kind of thing that you listen to on a busted-up turntable alone in the dark of the basement, curtains drawn, and sunglasses on. It’s quintessential psychedelic rock, a writhing bridge between the traditions of classic psych and the modern scene. Sometimes you hear a song that has already gone on to become a hit and wonder if the band knew what they had while they were writing it.
It is obvious here, however, that Babe Rainbow were fully aware that this tune was worthy of the position of title track.
Babe Rainbow’s Acid and Honey releases July 16, 2026!
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Stream: “Acid and Honey” – Babe Rainbow
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© Jordan Malane
© Jordan Malane
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