Father, Son, Holy Ghost by Girls
LABEL: True Panther

I’m awful with girls. Maybe it’s because I’m only funny sometimes; maybe it’s because my jeans just aren’t cool enough. But it probably has something to do with me being too shy. There is hope, however. A couple of years ago, I found some Girls that really made me feel comfortable. Finally, some Girls that poked and prodded me with their questions, their stories of love, and an undying fervor for the good things in life. I met them at a San Fransisco bar named Album, and like the devoted belles they are, they haven’t left my life. Unfortunately, my love goes semi-unrequited. Yes, they embrace me with passion and a lust for life, but we live so far away from each other — not to mention commitment seems to be quite an issue with these Girls. I know we love each other, even though we’ve never said it. (We’ve even had a romantic vacation in the Carolinas.) It’s been almost a year since I’ve last seen these Girls, but they’re back, and it feels like old times again. This time, we’re meeting at Father, Son, Holy Ghost, which is a pretty weird name for a restaurant, if you ask me. The feelings are still there — I know it. But it’s so much more brighter now. They still (ironically) break my heart with their tales of lost loves and dreams, and enchant me with stories of travels and warm weather. But it’s to the point where I can’t hold it in any longer. As I stare into these Girls’ glossy, green eyes, they take a simultaneous sip of their room temperature water and smile; it’s almost religious. It’s then that the levees break, and the flood of feelings I’ve tried so hard to hold back rush in.

By now, you’ve realized that I’m actually talking about the band Girls, and not actual girls (I still suck at them). The best part about this San Francisco-based band is the fact that they stay true to themselves. On their debut, Album, forlorn lyricism and shiny 60’s instrumentation created a welcoming—albeit heartbreaking—LP. And while you may be thinking to yourself, “Yeah, yeah, 60’s-based indie-pop; I’ve heard it all before,” you really haven’t until you’ve heard Girls. They take classic sounds and reinvigorate them with inescapable layers and lushness. Headed by Christopher Owens, who escaped the Children of God cult at 13, Girls ignited the indie-music scene with their attention to detail, which is exemplified in their newest album, Father, Son, Holy Ghost.

“So, though I’m still a whiny kid when it comes to girls, these Girls not only make me feel like a man, these Girls make me feel.”

Girls’ latest finds them doing what they best: heartbreakingly addicting tunes. Father opens up with the exemplary “Honey Bunny”. Rolling drums and Owens’ now-classic self-deprecation (“They don’t like my bony body/ They don’t like my dirty hair”) combine to give listeners a short, fleeting but magnificent track. On “Alex”, Girls start a trend seen on much of the rest of the album: large, stadium-like walls of resonance. On that track, glammy guitars shine brightly through dejection, providing a riveting juxtaposition of sound and content. Girls get even larger in the all-encompassing “Vomit,” (download below) where a slow, churned ballad turns into a massive organ and gospel-driven experience. The beauty of this band’s incorporation of gospel-like sounds is simply how much it relates to the spiritual quality of many of the tracks on Father. Girls don’t seem like much of a religious band (see: drug use), and rarely do they mention religion in specific (outside of the title); however, Owens’ despondent coos and the band’s masterful collage of instruments feel, at times, metaphysical. Its otherworldly aura simply draws ears in.

Sonically, Father, Son, Holy Ghost excels in creating both wondrously crafted layering and simple, warm instrumentation. While “Honey Bunny” and “Magic” are hooky and straightforward, they still manage to feel like deep cuts. But the real allure comes from intricacy of tracks like “Just A Song”, where Owens’ fingers crawl on the guitar as a dreamy string selection takes over the end. This kind of candid, full-forced indie-rock is rarely seen, but it doesn’t stop there. On the unabashedly morbid “Die,” Girls take a page from 70’s hard rock to whip up their most hard-hitting song to date.

It’s easy to see through Girls debut album and follow-up EP that Owens is an emotionally damaged man, and it doesn’t stop here. This is best seen in the most heartfelt track on this album, “Forgiveness.” It features nearly eight minutes of Owens crooning lines like, “And you’ll have to forgive me, brother/ and you’ll have to forgive me, sister/ and I’ll have to forgive you/ if we’re ever gonna move on.” Even through simple sweetnothings, listeners can find a tinge of Owens melancholy: “Come in to my heart.”

For some critics and listeners, Father, Son, Holy Ghost may not fare well because the pieces that make the album, forlorn lyricsm and 60’s-based indie-pop, are things that are utilized quite often by countless bands. But Girls somehow make Father seem like something new. Through meticulously detailed instrumentation and Christopher Owens’ sorrowful lyricism, it’s made itself a contender for album of the year. Each strata of organ and back-up vocals make this an inviting experience. There are going to be smiles, and there are also going to be some tears. But that’s what makes this album so real; it can engage you emotionally, and isn’t that what we all want? So, though I’m still a whiny kid when it comes to girls, these Girls not only make me feel like a man, these Girls make me feel.


REVIEWED BY ADRIAN ROJAS
ADRIAN’S FAVORITE TRACKS: “Alex” • “My Ma” • “Vomit”
Read more from Adrian on his blog, On the Importance of Being Rash

FREE MP3: “Vomit”

+ Read Groovemine’s review of Girl’s last LP