With the holiday season upon us, it is important to remember that the best gifts come in the smallest packages. The self-titled EP by TV Girl provides a telling example of this axiom. Self-released on Bandcamp on October 21, 2010, TV Girl could have easily fallen into the digital dollar bin given their relatively uncomplicated sound. Instead, TV Girl have again shown that you do not have to reinvent music to make infectious bedroom pop. All you need are some simple chops and an undeniable grasp on melodies.
TV Girl’s EP kicks off with “On Land”, a mid-tempo track most notable for its lack of a true chorus. Don’t fret, though, because “On Land” has the rare ability to sound like one continuous chorus, relying on one amazing hook throughout the entire track without wearing it out. This is a skill not often scene in today’s indie world, where tracks morph at the drop of a hat to sound ‘original.’ TV Girl took the opposite approach by keeping things simple, and they were rewarded with this endlessly repeatable album opener.
The true gem of TV Girl’s EP is “If You Want It”, a tale of drunk lust and inevitable morning regret – a modern-day love story, if you will. The lyrics weave an amazingly simple, yet astute, yarn, opening with the repeated phrase “Hello, it’s me” over a buried piano line before heading to the protagonist’s bedroom. You can almost taste the beer and smell the cigarettes as the two star-crossed lovers fall back into routine yet one more time. As you realize that this destructive pattern is destined to repeat itself, you also know that you will play the track again to see if it plays out the same the second time. Spoiler: it does. But it is no less enjoyable to hear.
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TV Girl – “If You Want It”
TV Girl – “On Land “
