I knew nothing about Girls before I listened to their album. I knew I liked it but I hadn't listened enough to know how much in time for my top ten of the year.

They're simple songs really, Beach Boys, Buddy Holly, Elvis Costello, hell, Elvis-simple. Some of them do seem to be about girls, girls like Laura or Lauren Marie. Who wouldn't want to be their friends forever?

They're tunes written for prom queens by scuzzy drug dealer drop-outs.  Simple rock and roll with a fucked up, frazzled, but wide-eyed sensibility. 

According to Rolling Stone, songwriter Christopher Owens was "born into the extremist Children of God cult before escaping to live on the streets at 16". That explains the frazzled part then.  

Hellhole Ratrace

 This song is a soul mate sworn in blood with Suicide's Dream Baby Dream, one of the most vulnerably frazzled yet uplifting songs I know.

 Sean Michaels describes Hellhole Ratrace best: "Girls sing the song three times before you see what the song really is, there behind the wine-stained melody, the jingle-bells, that golden guitar. Then, at last, they lift up the sky and let the roaring starlight in."

Note: in the video there is the same Queen is Dead poster by the bed that I have by mine.

Lust For Life

I don't have so much to say about this one. But I like the video. In this earlier version(not as good) you see his Queen is Dead poster again.

 Listen to Girls - Album on Spotify

Girls on myspace

Read Nick Mitchell's Interview with Girls for The Skinny