Parsnip – When The Tree Bears Fruit

When The Tree Bears Fruit, released in 2019, is the debut full-length by Melbourne quartet Parsnip and unfolds a playful yet restless vision of indie psych and garage pop. The band mixes affected melodies, vintage tones, and structural whimsy, offering a sound that flickers between innocence and dissonance. Songs such as “Lift Off!” and “Seafarer” carry a propulsive drive cloaked in dreamy textures, while softer moments like “Soft Spot” reveal a lyrical fragility beneath the façade. The record feels both intimate and ambitious, pushing its lo-fi constraints into deliberate expressive spaces.

Though not everywhere seamless, When The Tree Bears Fruit endears by refusing polish in favor of emotional immediacy and quirky identity. Its lightness masks depth: the band embeds moments of tension, discord, and contrast amid its cheerful veneer. The album has earned attention in underground circles for its singular tone and boldness of temperament. For listeners intrigued by artful oddness in pop form, it rewards repeated listening and invites fresh discovery.

"It's an assured, impressive debut from a band with a real vision and the skills to make it come fully to life." – AllMusic

“When the Tree Bears Fruit is the first full-length album by Melbourne four-piece Parsnip … the band shows some brilliance in their arrangements with a strong bassline in most of the songs.” – Spill Magazine

“The quartet prove themselves quite adept at ramshackle melodies indebted to the late ’60s psych scene via early Flying Nun bands and an abundance of folksy whimsy.” – Post-Trash

“Altogether ‘When the Tree Bears Fruit’ is off-kilter, challenging and original while also being comfortable, accessible, intricate, wonderfully musical and happy.” – Silent Radio