Sweet Thief is the sixth studio album by the shimmering Australian folk duo Luluc, aka Zoë Randell and Steve Hassett. The inspiration for their latest project stemmed from two key decisions by the Melbourne natives. The first was to spend Christmas 2024 at the family home of close friend J Mascis; the second was to return to Australia soon after, on inauguration day, January 2025, having spent the past year a whole world away from the place they have called home.
The first bloom of those decisions led to the Dinosaur Jr. frontman’s appearance, adding his percussion, which perfectly complements the folk melodies Luluc creates in such inspired fashion. The vocals of Randell mirror those of the calmest stream, barely creating a splash. It is the title of the project itself that hints at a quiet terror lurking beneath the calm waters. Taking its cue from a line in a Shakespearean sonnet, holding up a mirror to reflect the world as we find it today; a who is using who of love and hate, beauty and bloodshed, while modernity steamrolls over us, colours and lights hide exploitation and manipulation.
The lead single Rewarding Melody feeds itself perfectly into this ambiguity; on the surface it skates along as a ruminating love song, but Luluc have somewhat of an impenetrable side; transmitted messages become rerouted or hijacked, leading what appears to be a lover’s lament to become questioning or cryptic, contributing to the widening confusion of modern life.
Dopamine Slot Machine is a prime example of emotion in motion; the way Randell casts her vocals is entirely reminiscent of the smoky feel of Portishead’s Beth Gibbons or Cowboy Junkies’ vocalist Margo Timmins. The track closes with a jazz flourish, resembling a tour of a neon-lit city reminiscent of downtown New York’s notorious 1940s jazz scene.
Where Rewarding Melody sent you scrambling, No One Else’s Pen is more direct in its takedown of modern love: “some don’t seem to see their fortune, always looking round wanting something more” navigates Randell as she tries to see the best of honesty and honour in her relationships.
“We’re constantly told that we have to be part of specific groups, that we’re part of movements, but life is actually an individual experience,” Zoë says of the album’s overarching theme. “What you do with your life is in your hands and no one else’s. Doing harm to others, trying to get one over on other people, is all based on delusion and false promises. Far more important is the individual relationship you have with your own life.”
Luluc won’t pretend to have all of the answers, as misinformation leads to confusion, whipping everybody into a frenzy; one can at least look to the ten songs on Sweet Thief that embody a lighthouse in a storm, proving the best way to find harmony again is to provide a point of connection that anybody can relate to.
Sweet Thief (July 10th, 2026) Community Music
Bandcamp (Digital/Vinyl): https://luluc.bandcamp.com/album/sweet-thief