4. Girls – Album
Andy : 4 :: Dave : 9
While listening to Girls’ debut - Album – to write up this review, I first wrote out sentences in an attempt to draw out of me exactly what I thought the album sounded like. Somewhere in the midst of adjectives like “sun-bleached” and “updated” and “tragic,” I came up with the following sentence:
“Tingling, smart indie-rock, filled up intermittently with hand claps, breathless harmonica and failed relationships.”
The trouble is, that could describe any number of albums released in 2009 – not to mention a ridiculously large swath of the albums that comprise popular music. But despite Album‘s close relation to all that’s come before it, there’s a timeless nature to it; it immediately calls to mind the best, most upbeat and likable parts of The Beach Boys and Elvis Costello. But the dour outlook that runs through the entire album is decidedly current, and the contrast between the music and the tone of the lyrics makes for a fascinating result.
Any discussion surrounding Girls inevitably drifts to the fact that lead singer Christopher Owen was a part of the Children of God cult up until he was 16, and how much of the art he currently creates was influenced by that time. It’s interesting to consider; was his art borne because of the repressive nature of the cult, or did it blossom in spite of it? I don’t have an answer to that, and I suppose that it ultimately doesn’t matter – because either way, Album is a remarkable effort.
Girls – Big Bad Mean Motherfucker (mp3)
Girls – Summertime (mp3)
(Both songs from Album
