Few bands feel quite so suited to modern malaise as the brazenly named Tropical Fuck Storm. Born from the ashes of revered Australian rockers The Drones, the Melbourne quartet riff extensively on brain rot and social decay while stoking an all-too-familiar sense of overstimulation with their surrealistic art punk. Early tracks like 2017’s “Chameleon Paint” and 2018’s “You Let My Tyres Down” didn’t feel too far removed from the gnashing dirges perfected by singer-guitarist Gareth Liddiard and bassist Fiona Kitschin in their previous band, but guitarist Erica Dunn’s vocals became increasingly impactful on “Soft Power” and “Antimatter Animals” (both 2018). The band also began absorbing the influence of rap-style lyrical flow and beats, between Liddiard’s dense wordplay and drummer Lauren Hammel’s lockstep work on tracks like 2019’s “Braindrops” and 2021’s “G.A.F.F.” TFS tackle some fascinating left-field covers too, including the disco classic “Stayin’ Alive” and the lesser-known “Lose the Baby” by Melbourne’s Lost Animal. Yet, despite the garish apocalyptic imagery and woeful Greek-chorus harmonies built into their creative DNA, it’s not all absurdity and abrasion for TFS: “Teeth Marché” is surprisingly tender and shimmering, as are several other tracks on their 2025 album Fairyland Codex.