Girls: Album
Label: True Panther Sounds
The group’s name and album title seem like some sort of postmodern tip of the hat: take archetypes and reduce the rock album to its essence. It’s a fake-out, though: at its best, this is as emotionally taut and compelling as rock records get. There’s more than a hint of early Elvis Costello to the music made by Christopher Owens and JR White, but with segues elsewhere: the surreal, distorted interlude in the center of “Summertime” and the slow-burning heartbreak of “Hellhole Ratrace” both come to mind. Its moods move from blissful summertime pop to hard-earned epiphanies, and the end result is both eminently listenable and richly resonant. Add videos featuring naked young people and you have one of 2009’s most talked-about indie bands. (Toby)
