Monday, September 28, 2009

Quick Hitters:: Little Girls Concepts

I’m not sure what it is about Toronto’s Little Girls; the rub-you-raw abrasive guitar that dominates the mix, the hazy muddled vocals or even the catchy little samples they splice into the mix but the bottom line is that this TO ~~two-piece~~ solo affair is one I can’t get enough off. Even though I hesitate to call them lo-fi – the record is recorded well, just recorded to sound rough and distorted – Josh crafts the songs to avoid the summery washes we are all getting sick off, and crunches through track after track of noise filled bliss.

Not much has changed from what I said about the Tambourine EP released a few months ago – in fact most of the songs are included on Concepts – but the record still sounds fresh. What really grabs me about Concepts is how a crystal clear bass line propels so many of the tracks. Even as the vocals are warbled and the layers of guitars are fuzzed beyond recognition, you can attach yourself to the bouncing bass and nod along happily.

That little bit of structure helps you roam with the chopped up riffs and instead of succumbing to a gentle, persistent wash, tracks like the infectious Venom energize you, leaving your heart pounding. There are so many pleasant moments – the 80’s nod that shimmers on the album’s closing track Growing or the comforting drone of Youth Tunes that opens the record jump out of the speakers – but really you can mine any of the tracks for hidden nuggets and that’s why Concepts works as a full length.

McIntrye wrote songs that flow together and honestly, you might not be able to tell where you are in the record until you are countless listens in, but when you really sit down with Concepts and turn up the headphones as loud as you can, you start to appreciate his subtleties. For lack of any better words, the pulse of Seeing is inspiring and strangely freeing, like one of those scenes in a flick where a character just gives into the music and dancing in a dark club, covered by strobe lights and sweat completely unashamed or unconcerned with anything else.

Little Girls will be jump starting a killer night of music here in Halifax for HPX on October 24th, sharing the stage with Zeus (shit yeah), YSPWSD and Japandroids. That my friends might be what you call a can’t night miss of music.