Review | Lynks – Abomination 

Label: Heavenly Recordings

By Issy Packer

The eagerly awaited debut album from mysterious queer musician Lynks has been a long time coming. Since their debut EP, ‘Smash Hits, Vol. 1‘, in 2020, there have been a trickle of tracks released in the years following. ‘Abomination‘ gives us a full-length taste of the music Lynks has been teasing over the past four years while digging deeper than we’ve ever seen them.

‘Use It or Lose It‘ puts their acerbic wit on display with their tongue-in-cheek lyrics, putting their sexuality on full display with lyrics like “And I still don’t know what It means to be a gay man over age 40 / Unless I’m Ian McKellen or Graham Norton / It’s what every film, tv, book has taught me / My life ends the day I’m not invited to the orgy.”

It’s an unapologetically freeing track that is followed up by, ‘New Boyfriend’. Both tracks feature dancehall melodies and bassy hooks, tracks that you wouldn’t be surprised to hear at underground secret clubs in the capital.

Lynks‘ vocals are perfect against the dripping synth-electronica melodies, moving through breathy backing vocals on ‘CPR‘ to fast-paced, overly produced vocals on ‘Lynks Thinks’.

‘Abomination‘ is threaded together with a common theme: queer pride and sexuality. There’s a generational feel of the tracks; with references to presenters who have been on our TV for over 20 years to online dating apps (“Ordering a man / Like you’d order a curry“), the tracks feel both timely and timeless.

While the LP opens with empowerment and erotic, it moves into a look at queer shame. ‘Leviticus 18‘ is a particularly poignant interlude, as a Bible verse focusing on anti-queer sentiments is read out in full.

This sentiment is continued on the title track in which they describe themselves as a heathen and an abomination. The artist questions what God stands for while grappling with restraints enforced upon the queer community, such as not being able to give blood, before reclaiming the word.

‘Abomination‘ gives us a more well-rounded look at Lynks as an artist. We’ve seen the club version of them – witty, indulgent, horny and biting – on their previous releases, and while this persona shines through on their debut solo album, so does the more vulnerable side too.

Grappling with identity, queer pride and shame alongside more personal experiences, Lynks has truly cemented themself as a versatile, exciting and brilliant artist.

While Lynks may be battling with imperfection, ‘Abomination‘, as a debut, is damn near perfect.