The Beautiful Girls have come a long way to develop
a sound that moves beyond their early days of easily
palatable, semi-generic “college rock.” The
group still draws heavily from the Police, O.A.R. and
Jack Johnson, but front man Mat McHugh’s expanding
songwriting skills and studio prowess have resulted
in the Girls’ most rewarding effort to date.
The sometimes campy, campfire acoustic sing-along vibes
of earlier efforts have been discarded in favor of
more pronounced reggae rythmics, laid back instrumental
flourishes (see the vibrantly spacey woodwinds on “Bring
Me Your Cup”) and even a few moments of hard
rock wanderlust.
The disc opens with a momentary stumble, as a heavy-handed
barrage of sluggish Incubus-style hard rock riffage
reveals McHugh’s strained Anthony Kiedis-lite
vocals on “Royalty.” But soon enough this
opening track finds its footing and delivers a catchy,
perfectly layered chorus and, for the most part, the
Girls drop the impersonation act and attempt to forge
their own path through rock’s wasteland expanses,
lapsing into an ever-expanding cloud of world-wide
influences (even utilizing the Oz-centric wallop of
a didgeridoo). These Aussies hit their stride by the
second cut, the impeccably titled, “Sir, Your
Fashion Has the Cold Heart of a Killer” with
it’s intertwining guitars sprinkling and bursting
like aural firecrackers. A nicely explored whisper-quiet
dub breakdown serves to drive home the power of the
track’s serpentine melodies. Album closer, “Dealer
Wins” allows plunking percussion and ambient
synths to underscore McHugh’s weathered narrative.
The surf-storm beach lullabies, “Spanish Town” and “Wounds” deliver
the type of melancholic, sunrise chansons perfect
for nursing busted heartstrings or festering hangovers.
Sonically-enhanced and advancing toward a signature
sound, the Beautiful Girls create a small monument
with Ziggurats on their way to a truly mature
masterpiece.
Favorite Track: “Sir, Your Fashion Has The Cold
Heart Of A Killer”
