ALBUM: Grrrl Gang – ‘Spunky’

Upbeat from the opening bars, Indonesian rising stars Grrrl Gang’s debut album, Spunky!, lures you in with a colourful, bouncy mood, only to blindside you with darkly reflective lyrics. Given the first track is called ‘Birthday Blues’, this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, but the depth of the emotional journey this band takes you on can still feel like a sucker-punch.

The album is a case study in dissatisfaction with early adulthood. The first few tracks are all high energy and exciting; at a glance, they are the perfect picture of a fun party lifestyle, but the lyrics deliver a different picture. The birthday is unsatisfying – no longer a celebration, but ageing into a directionless adulthood. Bar-hopping feels like shallow entertainment, business school doesn’t afford the opportunities it once promised… A fight breaks out in a karaoke bar. The joy in these songs are surface level, and reality rudely forces itself on you no matter how hard you try to stay optimistic.

The single ‘Cool Girl‘, with its absolute encapsulation of isolation in a crowd, sits comfortably in the middle of the album, marking a turning point for the whole mood. The preceding tracks sow the seeds of doubt about a life being lived because it’s what is expected, building up to a breaking point with ‘Cool Girl’.

From this point onwards, Spunky! shifts its tone dramatically, becoming abruptly vulnerable. The next track, ‘Better Than Life’, cuts through all the pretend optimism. It hits you with the upfront “I feel caged in my body/I’ve been flirting with death” delivered in a direct and deadpan style, whilst the rebellious, self-destructive appearance of previous tracks drops away in exchange for a brutally honest depiction of how the world tears at your mental health. This is followed by ‘Tower Moment’, a moody instrumental piece that makes you sit with the feelings the album so far has raised.

The mood shifts again with ‘Mother’s Prayer’; a poignant moment of reflection. The sense of isolation lingers on this track, despite it being specifically about the people who care – “My mother’s prayers/Can only get me so far”. There’s a realisation that demands a moment of quiet to digest, before the understanding comes that the only actual choice you have is to carry on.

Spunky! draws to a close with a sense of hope to it. ‘Blue-Stained Lips’ in a love song; the liveliness of the music has a lot more body to it than the counterparts at the beginning of the album. Insecurities still linger, but they are gentler now, acknowledged but overruled by the brighter tunes. The album ends with ‘The Star’, which addresses the work required to get to a truly healthy place, but with a firmly optimistic attitude – you can’t help but be convinced that things are about to get better, that moving past the struggle is not only possible, but getting closer every day. Some of the most wholesome moments in this track are also the simplest – “I look in the mirror/And I like what I see”.

Having been featured in the likes of NME and Spin, with Spunky Grrrl Gang showcase their ability to fuse together their empowering riotous punk energy with a poignant raw honesty and relatable fizzing emotion. Uplifting and cathartic in equal measure.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=MHNjj753YNM%3Fsi%3Dov0iK0_ZvUgWna5l

Spunky!, the debut album from Grrrl Gang, is out now via Trapped Animal, and via legendary label Kill Rock Stars in America. Order here.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

Photo Credit: Tiny Studio

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WATCH: Grrrl Gang – ‘Cool Girl’

Plunging you immediately into the fray, Indonesian rising stars Grrrl Gang’s new video for ‘Cool Girl‘ takes place in the throbbing crowd of a gig. Both track and video capture the tragically relatable feeling of isolation despite being surrounded by people, in all respects, should be your community. 

The song kicks off bouncy and energetic, with a pounding drum beat and screaming guitars. Aggressive vocals are juxtaposed against vulnerable lyrics as the camera narrows in on the one person in the audience not quite smiling. She drains her drink and threads her way through the broiling crowd, as the dim lighting combined with the glare of spotlights creates a foggy atmosphere. The closeness of everyone jostling and roaring along with the song makes the whole scene feel somewhat claustrophobic, and her evident discomfort is punctuated by quick cuts to the band and to the people around her, and the repeated “I wish I was a cool girl”.

The lyrics offer a snatch of insight into the girl’s headspace. Delivered with a rage that is amplified by the vulnerability in the words, the song craves such unattainable attributes as being comfortable in your own head – “I can be alright when I get with myself”. The track then drops to a much slower tempo; with a spiralling shriek of guitars, the camera focuses again on the girl, who has finally let go and allowed herself to become one with the crowd. She dances and jumps effortlessly along with them, smiling in a way that seems genuine. The bodies and hands around her no longer feel like they are trapping her, but are a safe, protective comfort. The repeated lyrics continue – “I wanna tear my skin apart/It never glows in the dark” – but they are softer. The insecurities haven’t gone entirely, but they’re no longer strong enough to stop her enjoying herself and embrace the joy of the moment, until eventually they fade away altogether.

Watch the wonderfully uplifting, yet subtly poignant, new video now:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=fNt4hj-w5yg%3Fsi%3DrAoBbL-w6zfhgGm8


Spunky, the debut album from Grrrl Gang, is out now via Trapped Animal, and via legendary label Kill Rock Stars in America.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

Photo Credit: Tiny Studio

Kirstie SummersLeave a comment

New Track: She’s In Parties – ‘L Word’

An intimately poignant second single, ‘L Word‘ by Essex band She’s In Parties captures the internal conflict of letting someone know the true depths of your feelings for them. It begins softly, with a gentle beat and lilting vocals, complemented by a twinkling guitar riff that repeats like a delicate dance throughout the track.

The sense of internal conflict is beautifully demonstrated by the vulnerability in the delivery of the vocals, as well as the relatable, guarded lyrics, “Afraid to say the L word / Afraid to let my guard down”. The titular ‘L word’ carries a lot of weight, lent power by the way the ethereal and haunting vocals drift between the soft verses and the howling chorus.

While the conflict at the core of the song might not seem all that catastrophic to describe, the delivery of the vocals draws out the gut-wrenching reality of such an intense and personal anxiety in a way that aches with vulnerability. You can’t help but feel the torture of the anxiety, regardless of whether or not it’s a flavour of insecurity you’re especially familiar with.

The way the vocals and instruments ramp up into a howl in the choruses evoke the way the anxiety roils and churns, corrupting into a feeling that could be beautiful. ‘L Word’ takes on a bittersweet flavour as the feeling of love for someone, which should be a joy to share, is tainted by the fear and uncertainty behind the impending confession. The song thrusts all that emotion into an unbearable wave of agony culminating in crashing drums, screaming guitars and roaring vocals. The repeated “I didn’t mean to say that” is heartbreaking. It validates the fear, robbing the potential connection of its joy and injected regret instead, the repetition feeling much like the endless cycles of anxiety-induced heart palpitations and gasps for breath.  Then, as it winds down to a soft, solemn close, that contrite final line leaves the track’s haunting vulnerability to linger with you long after the music fades away.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=MQYoUwkxUKA%3Fsi%3DEZ8kq-5xGV84d0EP

End Scene, the debut EP from She’s In Parties, is set for release on 6th October via Submarine Cat records. And you can catch them live supporting Bleach Lab, and on some select headline dates, including at Third Man Records, throughout November – more info here.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

Photo Credit: Polocho

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LISTEN: Small Crush – ‘Rumblin’ Tummy’

A re-imagining of an old track, ‘Rumblin’ Tummy‘ by Californian band Small Crush is a heartfelt and happy love song; it revives their old song, ‘Tummy Rumblin’’, with a fresh perspective, taking the core of the track and making it an uplifting celebration of longevity. 

‘Rumblin’ Tummy’ is about staying in love. It’s about still experiencing the giddy euphoria of seeing someone special, even when they’ve been in your life for a long time. It’s sweet and sincere, and all too easy to get caught up in the moment. Soft vocals and twinkling guitars over an upbeat lilting rhythm echo the vulnerability in the lyrics extremely well, with the delivery of every element resulting in an instantly catchy track that is rich with emotion.

The lyrics detail the feelings with a sense of immediacy that draws you in. There are none of the dry adult concerns about compatibility or politics or long term relationship goals – instead, the song is carefree. It revels in the bliss of the moment and the knowledge that “there is nothing I’d rather do than talk to you”. It is simply about the joy of someone’s company and how their presence makes each day a bit brighter than the last; lingering for a moment to appreciate how, as love grows and changes, the feeling of those butterflies only gets more exciting.

‘Rumblin’ Tummy’ doesn’t over complicate the moment, finding significance in simplicity. It focuses on the immediate sensations, capturing them beautifully in both music and lyrics, until anyone listening is fully absorbed into them.

Small Crush are set to release their second album, Penelope, on 15th September via Asian Man Records.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

Photo Credit: Trinity Gardener

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