ALBUM REVIEW: Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

By Josh Custodio

Father, Son, Holy Ghost is the third CD from San Francisco-based rock band Girls. They have been on an interesting career trajectory, going from a would-be one hit wonder band with “Lust for Life” to critical darlings. Critics praised their first LP, Album, for songwriter Christopher Owens’ open and honest lyrics, as well as the album’s raw and fun production style. With their second release, Broken Dreams Club, Girls took a sonic step forward by opting to use more traditional production techniques and a blown up sound. While not as universally loved as Album, it did produce another substantial hit with its lead single, “Heartbreaker”.

Then there’s Father, Son, Holy Ghost. Their most recent CD hits you within seconds, using the tom-roll blast of “Honey Bunny” to let you know that the race is on. This work spotlights the strength of Owens’ songwriting ability. Luckily, he is more than up to the task of conquering that attention. Owens writes timeless songs that revitalize a genre. In this collection, he warps and bends the rules of rock and roll, utilizing candidness, sweetness, and a sense of self that is not normally associated with the genre. The songs are diverse enough to hold any listener’s attention. From the balls-out throwback of “Die” to the tongue-in-cheek charm of “Saying I Love You”, the dynamics on this album are a real treat. Father, Son, Holy Ghost works like an expert storyteller, over exaggerating and downplaying all the right elements to make the story compelling enough to hold the listener rapt.

Many words have been written about Owens’ childhood in relation to his music. He was raised in the Children of God religious cult [http://bit.ly/9fQDyd]. This makes the title Father, Son, Holy Ghost very intriguing. How many songs on this album are auto-biographical? Many Girls songs resonate with a feeling of not being happy with where you are in life and wishing for change. Owens’ music is his diary—his life story, and the openness in tracks like “My Ma” and “Vomit” truly sound like his story being told through song. This is a record that looks to connect with listeners and engage with them on an emotional level.

Unfortunately, the album is front-loaded; its best tracks occur within the first six songs, with the exception of late-album highlight “Love like a River.” “Just a Song”, “Magic”, and “Forgiveness” blur together and feel distinctly weaker than the tracks that proceed them. That being said, even a weak Girls song is still better than 80% of music that you will hear this year.

Girls’ best trait is that they are a song-driven band; their songs are their calling card. In an indie-blogosphere world, there are many bands that come and go in what feels like minutes. Gimmicky, over-hyphenated genres seem to pop up every day, craving to be the next big thing. Owens and his band take a proven recipe, switch some of the ingredients, and make something that has staying power. With three spectacular albums under their belt and no sign of slowing down, Girls will continue to create waves in years to come. This is a band that has more content than hype, which, frankly, is a breath of fresh air in the current music climate.

Girls takes a familiar music style, expands it, and, to an extent, modernizes it. This is one of the best LPs to come out this year and it should not be missed.

Standout Tracks: “Alex” “Love like a River”