By Allegra Papera
Staff Writer
Girlpool shows declining vocal quality in their recent release “Before the World Was Big.”
Girlpool expresses a balance between strong lyrical and instrumental aspects with notable decline of their vocal quality on their second release, “Before the World Was Big”. Although the duo expresses strong aspects of the album in both their lyrical and instrumental composition, the dissatisfying vocals still manage to take away from the album’s overall quality.
Girlpool is a punk rock band consisting of two teenage girls, 18 year-old Cleo Tucker, and 19 year-old Harmony Tividad. Although currently located in Philadelphia, Girlpool was originally formed in Los Angeles.
The band’s debut EP, “Girlpool” was initially uploaded to their Bandcamp page in 2014 and then re-released through Wichita Recordings later in the year. “Before the World Was Big” is their second release, but first full album.
The duo manages to create music with only a guitar and bass, showing their capability of using simplicity to express progressiveness in punk music.
With lyrics like “I’m still looking for sureness in the way I say my name, I am nervous for tomorrow and today”, the band addresses topics and troubles in their songs that can be found relative to a broad audience as they are relative to all people. It reaches all genders, backgrounds, and anxious people in today’s society.
Since the band members are teenagers, they incorporate hardships of many teens, making their music relatable and relevant. This record could be found as an anthem for those equally terrified to face the responsibility that comes hand in hand with adulthood, helping them to feel heard and understood.
“Before the World Was Big” also addresses the fear of having youth fade into only memories. This seems to be the inspiration for some of the nostalgic lyrics featured on the track, “Before the World Was Big”, such as, “I just miss how it felt standing next to you, wearing matching dresses before the world was big”, another example of their relativity to those experiencing the same thing.
The passionate delivery of the lyrics help to get across a refreshing, youthful position in a world where most of its adolescents seems to stray away from these attitudes, longing for adulthood instead. The passion that comes along with their shrill voices singing the lyrics in unison adds the seemingly necessary rawness that comes along with punk rock. (61)
Girlpool manages to belt lyrics that are easily adaptable to different genres to exemplify the attitude that they clearly obtain. Their capability to change their sound into other genres, maybe a softer sound, will make their musical transitions an easily obtainable option for further releases.
The vocals are high-pitched and whiney, making the music irritating. The band churns out music that can be enjoyable in moderation, but shrill and obnoxious vocals make it difficult to listen to.
Some of the songs sound similar to one another due to the consistency of their rhythm and and vocal pitch. With these similarities, its almost as if the entire album fades into one long song, experiencing few ins and outs with the level of aggression they deliver their lyrics with.
The band delivers an instrumentally relaxed sound, using guitar to keep it interesting but bass to keep rhythm. Despite this, the vocals sung over the music manage to distract from their instrumental skills. The obnoxious vocals take away from what could have been an overall exemplary album.
The album is sold on iTunes and in retail for $9.99.
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