Girlpool :: Before The World Was Big

Girlpool does what every John Hughes movie tried to do, which is to encapsulate teenage angst and disillusionment in simple, uncomplicated terms.I like Girlpool more because they’re actually teenage girls (and Sixteen Candles is overrated anyways). Girlpool is the combined efforts of Cleo Tucker (18) on guitar and vocals, and Harmony Tividad (19) on bass and vocals. The gals released their self-titled EP on Bandcamp in 2014.That EP kicked ass – it was pissed off garage pop with equally pissed off vocals. It felt personal, with amusingly explicit lyrics like, “Eat me out to American Beauty,” and “Do you wanna makeout/With my slutmouth?” Now they’ve unleashed their debut LP, Before The World Was Big. The record examines the same coming-of-age themes we heard in the EP, but does so with more PC language, and slightly less noise. Using simple meter in uncluttered string arrangements, Girlpool explores angst, recalcitrance, nostalgia, as well as gender tropes (‘Jane’, wearing dresses). The result is an album that voices the honest thoughts of a demographic that is rarely respected in music conversation, and is often made to feel ‘lesser than’ based on age and gender: teenage girls. “Before the World Was Big” is a great song, and other favourites include “Cherry Picking,” “Crowded Stranger,” and “I Like That You Can See It.” If 16-year-old me had heard this record, I would have immediately grabbed a guitar and felt inspired to rock out. 23-year-old me feels 16 again. (Witchita/ girlpoolmusic.com/) Victoria King