Album

As yet another indie pop band heralded by a snowstorm of internet praise largely the result of three brilliantly shot heroin chic videos for "Hellhole Ratrace," "God Damned," and "Lust for Life," Girls' 2009 album--simply titled ALBUM--actually proved itself worthy of the hype upon its release. Comprised of two free-spirited San Francisco burnouts (one appearing relatively clean cut, the other greasy haired and disheveled) JR White and Christopher Owens go for the Mellow Gold with their take on D.I.Y. California pop. Where the similarly blog-toted Wavves offered a pill-popping, pot-fueled skater's perspective on fun in the sun, Girls offer up a similarly thrifty, drug-addled ode to the warm climate, but filtered through a pair of green-tinted hippie shades. In their brand of lo-fi, they opt to go against the momentary trend of recording in the red, and instead utilize an earthy approach, with clean Ariel Pink guitar twang and Spiritualized psychedelic reverb. White plays the producer role, acting as a fly on the wall at times, and at others layering shoegaze swells to fill the backdrop of Owen's minimalistic, squeaky-voiced guitar ballads. Simplicity is the duo's ally, as is their knack for keen Beach Boys melodies. As a whole, everything's relaxed and dreamy, perfectly matching the '70s aesthetic of their videos.|

年間ベスト1〜2を争うだろう傑作の登場です。作ったのはガールズと名乗る、乙女心を持った男子2人組（notゲイ）。特にクリストファー（ヴォーカル）の生い立ちが強烈で、リヴァー・フェニックスも在籍したヒッピー系カルト教団で生まれ、伝道活動の一環として16歳の時に売春を強要されて逃亡したなんて過去も!　そんなこんなで、自由を求めてLAへ移り住んだ彼の描く曲には、日常の美しい瞬間が散りばめられているのです。陽気なカリフォルニアのムードをそのまま映し出した初期ビーチ・ボーイズ風のナンバーやメロウでドリーミーなフォーク・ソングなど、とにかく粒揃い!　特にお気に入りはピュアな気持ちが伝わる“Hellhole Ratface”で、リフレインが感動もの。ロマンティックな男って最高に魅力的よね!!
bounce (C)小泉いな子