Kaurna/Adelaide noise-rock outfit Placement have revealed their long-awaited debut album, Insect.
Out via Clarity Records, Insect pulls Placement’s formidable sound deeper into the shadows, offering bleak commentary on mortality, decay and existential doom that glows with playful energy. Amongst the brooding instrumentation and narrative-style vocals, moments of sparkling beauty emerge, with the band feeling much more human than the winged creatures they liken themselves to.
It is some of the band’s most articulate and experimental work to date, brutally shedding perspective on what one’s life truly means in the grand scheme of things. Vocalist Malia reflects: “I had a cat called Cash. He was hard to live with, stinky, wild, murderous and uncontainable. He would disappear sometimes for days and we would wonder if he would one day disappear forever. But I found him straight away that morning, draped across the pavement. I had to wait for a car to pass between us before I could reach him. Did they see him as they sped past, one of the many insects crushed on the road, drawn to the light, to the furnace. How long did he lie there in a halo of streetlight, just outside the cemetery gates? He had jaws that bit and teeth that caught, an insect like me.“
The debut effort from Placement showcases a slew of brand new material sewn together by haunting interludes. Tracks like ‘This Weak’ showcase a gentle side to the band, while still carrying the unpolished charm of artists like Dry Cleaning and Mannequin Pussy. Fan favourite ‘New Disease’ is a welcome album addition, with fluttering guitars and self-destructing lyricism that linger long after the song ends.
With their debut album now in hand and a growing reputation as one of the country’s best live acts, Placement are proving themselves as an experimental force to be reckoned with.
Release: June 27th, 2025, Clarity Records