Girls-Album



There are moments in life we all wait for, moments that we hope will change our lives in some extent, be it economically, emotionally or in any other way...well, this isn´t one of those moments, at all. I was just trying to make you lose some of your precious time. Instead, this is one of those albums we music lovers wait for. Before I dare type any kind of review, I must first clarify something: I am an indie-music lover, and the indie scene has always been my favorite one, (in case anyone was actually wondering) but I'm also an objective reviewer, and although most of the time my reviews and/or comments will be biased, I will always try to be as objective as possible and as I usually am. Now, let's continue, shall we? I'm certain I spent well over 2 years waiting for another band to come out of nowhere and make it big so I could brag about the fact that I listened to them before they were cool...okno... I was patiently waiting for a worthy indie band/album that would once again change the way I see indie music. There had been good, catchy and fun bands every now and then, but nothing that stood out enough for me. But surprise surprise, luckily for me, and for anyone who shared that (pathetic) dream, the wait is over. I know this album came out a year ago, and yes, I had heard some of its tracks during 2009, but recently got it as a gift (because I´m too greedy to spend 12 dollars on a CD) and have been mesmerized ever since. Christopher Owens (the band´s mysterious frontman that vaguely resembles Brett Anderson) had one hell of a childhood. Probably worse than yours, you causeless martyr. He was part of a religious-kind of thing, somewhat like a cult, which did nothing but limit poor little Chris in what he was able to do, to think, to even dream of being and of course, in case it wasn't more than implied already, to listen to. But one glorious day he somehow managed to get ahold of music by great bands like Guns N´ Roses, The Clash and the like...and that's when his love for music and desire to create such majestic sounds like the ones he was being exposed to were born (not immediately, of course. Now, put down that Appetite for Destruction copy you're holding in your hands, it won't make you any more talented...not that you had any talent, to begin with anyway) This is just another perfect example of how life-changing music can be. Poor Chris went from being a restrained, troubled young boy to a...well...depressive, poetic and troubled man, but the point is, we indie lovers are happy he got through this period of his life, because he is one darn good musician.

His personal demons and frustrations/traumas are reflected more often than not in every track, be it in the mood the band sets with the music, the lyrics in each song or the emotion put into simple words, transforming a simple "I wish" into an aching "Please let me get what I want for once in my fucking miserable life". The opening track on the album, Lust for Life (which is not related to Iggy in any way) is a perfect example of the way the band plays with the listener's emotions. You'd think it's just another generic, upbeat poppy song with mediocre production. But there is something beneath that happiness that the music almost unnoticeably evokes, something much darker and sad. Something as mellow as melancholy itself. It's all a matter of opinion, but it's only the first track, and Owens is already spitting out his frustrations in a very classy and indirect way. 

It's an obscure kind of pure beauty, a vaguely sad song music-wise, but a song that makes you think a lot lyrics-wise,  Hear it once, twice, thrice, enjoy it and you'll probably feel happy, maybe you'll start singing along to it or dancing or putting it on one of your horribly titled teenage playlists, but start letting it get to you, getting inside of you, and it will make you think about life. Something so trivial like why can´t we appreciate what we have and enjoy life as we are supposed to comes to mind immediately after a while. Now, put that feeling of existentialism and sadness in practically all 12 songs on the album and what do you get? Simple, a complete indie music jewel. Something so deep and profound that exceeds any possible vision of what a new indie band could come up with. It obviously makes many other thoughts arise and makes us ask ourselves a handful of different questions, ranging from various topics, like love, isolation, loneliness and even positivity and trust, hoping that everything will somehow be alright in the end...somehow. Do any of those things make you think of any legendary 80s Post-Punk bands that love to fuck us up with their never-ending depression? Yes? No? (And I'm not only talking about one band, if you know your music...you'll immediately notice the influences Girls has) Even if you couldn't, you don't need to. Another perfect example of the beauty and feeling put in this album is Headache, a beautiful love song about loyalty and wanting to be with that one special person, and just, wanting them to show you that the love and happiness is reciprocal. You may or may not have heard at least one of the singles from this album, and you're probably wondering, what about the music itself? Well, it obviously has the typical indie formula: create a catchy riff and either play it the entire song or just go a step up or down in the scale while a drum machine backs it up, accompanied by either prominent bass lines or almost unnoticable ones, dreamy keyboards, lo-fi production and sing-along choruses for the masses. But still, there is something else about the band, something that I dare consider as progressive. It's not the fact that they have a 6+ minute long song, it's not the fact that they vary the generic formula mentioned above quite a handful of times throughout the record, it's not the fact that there are unexpected melodies that go beyond amazing and complex at times, it's the fact that they have a mastery of their instruments, and they showcase it in the solos, in the tempo-variations, in the tunings used, in the riffs created. It's obviously all part of the creativity they have as musicians, but one can't simply label them as an "average indie band" because they are years ahead of any other indie band trying to make it big and to be heard and liked. The music and the lyrics are fantastic, so leave your prejudice behind, quit wasting your time and either listen to the entire album online or actually buy it (support the band, even if they'll just get a misery of the income from the sale). Don't be one of those despicable snobs that only waste their time criticizing genres that they don't seem to know enough of, thus leading them to automatically label them as bad, shitty, generic, for hipsters (oh how I love that one) or simply boring. It doesn't matter what kind of music you are the most into, because if you truly consider yourself a music lover with at least an inch of brain, you will definitely see this album as what it is, a masterpiece. You want more opinions? you want more proof? Let's randomly quote a fellow independent reviewer: 

"[It's] that reckless enthusiasm, that's real, and it

powers every deadpan plea in Girls', let's be

honest, amazing hits. --Fader "

Now: Who (or WHAT) the fuck is "Fader", you ask?...I have no clue, and I couldn't care less, but the quote above is concrete and correct, there's nothing else to it. 

Best tracks:

1-Lust For Life

2-Laura

3-Ghost Mouth

4-God Damned

5-Big Bad Mean Motherfucker

6-Hellhole Ratrace

7-Headache

8-Summertime

9-Lauren Marie

10-Morning Light

11-Curls

12-Darling

All 12 tracks on the album. No doubt about it. 

Final Verdict: I could give you more reasons of why this album is an indie masterpiece...but I´d rather not. I´ll just use 3 words that will make any possible argument invalid and useless:

INDIE MUSIC JEWEL

Rating: 10/10

Awesome Job Chris, awesome Job Chet (as if they were going to read this...oh well)

10 out of 10, completely deserved. Someday this album will set a standard among the ever-growing Indie-scene

Side Note: Broken Dreams Club EP is out now! another masterpiece by Girls, go buy it now!