Album Review: Babe Rainbow – ‘Slipper imp and shakaerator’

Posted: 10th April, 2025 by The Alt Editing Staff

Babe Rainbow’s newest album Slipper imp and shakaerator was recorded in a warehouse on an Australian banana farm; as I listened to the record I found myself thinking this sounds exactly like it was recorded in a warehouse on an Australian banana farm. The hippie ethos of Babe Rainbow’s earlier works is on full display here; see, for example, the first two song titles: “what is ashwagandha” and “LONG LIVE THE WILDERNESS.” These songs are both fine summery lysergic concoctions, sounding very much like the acid rock of the seventies. The album–and the band–have leaned into its psychedelic influences dangerously close to the point of no return.

But perhaps the point of no return is a point of no concern. Drugginess aside, the record contains a host of clever details. A tiny and charming piano loop ties off “LONG LIVE THE WILDERNESS” like a coda. “When the milk flows” features a dizzying blend of lightning-fast bongos, funk-inflected guitar, and even a vocoder piece, reminiscent of Daft Punk. The song then slows and ends on a slow, easy-listening devolution.

A highlight of the album is “Aquarium cowgirl,” where the band departs from their typical acid-rock palette, using synths and drum machines to create an upbeat jam. Even with the bold new sound, the song remains identifiably in Babe Rainbow’s wheelhouse, with talk of “aphrodisiac calm” and “planetary domes.” 

The record contains a lot of interesting musical ideas, if not lyrical ones. The instrumental “Apollonia” consists of a beautiful and complex interchange between a guitar and wispy synthesizers, reminding me of work by the Swedish multi-instrumentalist Daniel Ӧgren, a wildly different musician. The sleek vocals and disco guitars of “Like cleopatra” make for clean-sounding dynamism, a song that instills a desire to drive along an endless coastline under the summer sun. While Slipper imp and shakaerator may not necessarily break new ground for Babe Rainbow, the record reaffirms that they are masters at hewing their particular gem of psych rock. Groovy!

Disappointing / Average / Good / Great / Phenomenal

Slipper imp and shakaerator is out now.

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Elizabeth Piasecki Phelan | @onefellswoop

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