Melbourne/Naarm queer feminist trio Terrible Muriel have found an anthem for the socially anxious on ‘Introverted Weirdo’, the fourth and final single from their forthcoming debut album In My Head. Out September 18 via Shred Like a Girl, it celebrates shyness, awkwardness and the endless rumination that comes with navigating a world seemingly designed for considerably more sociable people.
Musically, Terrible Muriel keep things deliberately sparse. Simple guitar, bass and drums work together around a ploddy indie-rock rhythm, while another characteristically driving bassline provides the strongest hint of the trio’s post-punk roots. Cinta’s conversational vocal keeps everything wonderfully matter-of-fact, making declarations of being too shy to maintain eye contact feel less like anguished confessions and more like an invitation to find your fellow weirdos.
Repetition does much of the work, with thoughts of not being able to go out or go round again circling just like the rumination the song describes. Meanwhile, the repeated ‘introverted weirdo’ chorus has all the makings of a gloriously unlikely live singalong. Funny, simple and painfully relatable, it offers something every awkward soul needs occasionally: solidarity without requiring any actual social interaction.
