Girls – Album
(Matador; 2009)
8.0/10
There is nothing earth-shattering about Album, the debut release from the San Francisco duo Girls. Yet the surmounting hype may well be deserved.
Album is a collection of feel good songs that recall everything that was good about classic sixties California music. With hints of the Beach Boys, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Elvis Costello, there is a tinge of welcome familiarity that hits straight to the heart.
“I wish I had a suntan,/ I wish I had a pizza and a bottle of wine,” muses vocalist Christopher Owens. With its simple lyrics and romantic sentiments, Girls weave fuzzy surf-rock, shoegaze, and dream pop into accessible, pleasant melodies.
From the infectious “Lust for Life”, to the wistful “Hellhole Ratrace”, and the shoegazy “Morning Light”, Album is full of melodic pop songs, delivered with nonchalance and self-effacing humor.
Trial Track: “Lust for Life”
