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There are a lot of interesting stories to tell about Girls‘ frontman Christopher Owens, but nobody tells it better than he does. He recounts his history and bares his soul regularly in interviews and on his charming, open twitter account, but nowhere does the same complexity and depth of feeling come out as in his songwriting. He and collaborator JR White together make up Girls, along with a variable assemblage of members, these days notably including three gospel backup singers and one high-caliber drummer. Those familiar with Owens through one avenue or another know his unique lyrical capability of using casual language and common story lines to elicit weighty emotion in his songs. With Girls’ expanded lineup as a vehicle, Owens has delivered his most powerful and wide-reaching record yet in “Father, Son, Holy Ghost”.
Girls have developed in the breadth of their musical capabilities with each release, though some tracks appearing on “Father, Son, Holy Ghost” were written well before the band’s 2009 debut, Album. After their rougher, poppy Beach Boys-esque debut, Girls have maintained a distinctive sound while venturing into heavier styles and more complex orchestrations. The songs recall psychedelic, classic, and heavier rock predecessors, along with gospel, while still referencing the 50′s pop crooners Owens seems to unselfconsciously emulate.
The new album’s track names themselves herald the shift in scope, including hard rocking “Die,” which opens with arguably more drumming and distortion than existed in their catalog cumulatively to date. “Vomit,” the album’s other appropriately named heavy cut, swoops from quiet desperation to a full, grandiose sound, laying out a universal feeling of longing. Peppier “Honey Bunny,” heartfelt “My Ma,” and soulful “Love Like A River,” introduce the backup gospel singing to the band, soaking the simplicity of Girls’ earlier songs in more history – not just of rock and roll, but of Owens’ extreme religious upbringing in the Children of God cult. The contrast in voices highlights the innocent longing in Owens’ gentle vocals, and the sliding guitars elaborate on his touching, unassuming delivery.
Some of the appeal of Girls’ debut, “Album”, was in the combination of a beachy lightness and lyrics dripping with heartbreak, but the band has moved outward from that sound, be it with flashy brass solos, as in their Broken Hearts Club EP, or gospel backup, without losing that charm or sacrificing their identity. “Father, Son, Holy Ghost,” with its new expansiveness and myriad references, still features the same arresting, simple beauty that has become Girls’ bottom line.
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