REVIEW: Alien Chicks - Forbidden Fruit

Alien Chicks are a chaotic, experimental post-punk trio, barrelling their way to the forefront of London’s underground music scene. Made up of Josef Lindsay (guitar & vocals), Stefan Parker-Steele (bass & backing vocals), and Martha Daniels (drums & backing vocals), the band has just released their second EP Forbidden Fruit, bringing a uniquely unpredictable sound, pushing boundaries you didn’t even know existed and leaving you begging for more. The six track EP combines explorations of political subservience and capitalism-induced resignation, with intoxicating instrumentals and striking vocals, plus some tongue-in-cheek lyrics thrown into the mix too!

We kick off with ‘Donkeyhead’ - this track immediately catches your attention with some very deliberate and catchy repetition, and keeps it in a tight grip by interweaving melodic jazz with vicious punk energy throughout. We then jump straight into ‘Babe’, exploring how we never truly have free will over our lives, and how our motivations are minimised by our social and political environments, making us all a bit complacent. The lyrics mock the submission we all face by implying we’re turned on by it, and that our complacency stems from us being masochists. Josef’s exclamations of “babe” and “baby” over Martha’s punchy drumming really electrifies this track, making it a stand out number.

‘Dairylea’ comes in much chiller than the previous songs, bringing a sort of melancholic feel to it. It might just seem like a bit of a nonsensical song at first, talking about putting poison in Dairylea cheese, but if you listen closely you’ll realise it’s a song all about how fleeting our lives are and how passive we seem to be about it. Of course, Alien Chicks don’t let us stay in that mellow feeling for too long, as the next track, ‘Mr Muscle’, brings back their signature erratic energy. It’s a crowd favourite, and a loud and nihilistic piece with slapstick lyrics about cleaning products that you can’t help but scream along to.

Moving on to the next track, ‘I’ve Become A Palm Tree’ switches up the vibe yet again. It opens with a jaunty melody that immediately makes you want to nod your head and snap your fingers along to. The use of brass instruments in this track makes it incredibly striking in comparison to the raw intensity of Josef’s vocals near the end. ‘Say Fish’ masterfully concludes this EP, really showing off just how sonically dynamic Alien Chicks are. While the entire record jumps between loud, turbulent punk sounds and chiller, jazzier moments, this track truly exacerbates this band’s range. In their own words, “it is one of our favourite songs to play live”, and we can see exactly why!

If Alien Chicks weren’t on your radar already, they absolutely should be after this release. This EP is unpredictable in the best ways possible, and takes you on a journey full of spontaneity and strangeness. We’re excited to hear what they do next, and hope to catch them live in the near future to get a full taste of their powerful stage presence.

Score: 8/10

Forbidden Fruit was released on May 9th 2025 via Hideous Mink Records & SO Recordings.

Words: Zuzanna Pazola

Photos: Alien Chicks