Goat Girl are an enigma. Are they fueled by aggression or do they really just not give a fuck? If you’re looking for the answer to this question, their debut album will not provide you with the answers you are looking for. It’s this very fact, their raw vocals and no-nonsense lyrics, that make Goat Girl the success story that they are. From their intense full-length tracks to their under 60-second intervals, over 19 songs and 40 minutes, the band will do everything they can to warp your perception of reality and throw you off.
In their own words, “Simply put, it’s an album that comes from growing up in London and the first-hand experience of our city’s devolution. We wanted to think of it as this place seen not necessarily just through our eyes, but someone who can’t get past the abnormalities and strange happenings that exist in our city. We think this gives the freedom lyrically and musically to explore unspoken truths and emotions that we all as humans feel”. From the distinctly eerie country string sections of tracks such as ‘Creep’, the cult-like harmonies of ‘Viper Fish’, to the unrivaled 21st Century tones of ‘A Swamp Dogs Tale’, Goat Girl‘s album is not one thing, and to describe it as such would be to do it a disservice. Twisting and turning through a filthy underworld, the record blurs the lines between clean and dirty, leaving you with feeling of insanity that you won’t want to shake.
It’s the brawling tones of lead singer Lottie that bring a sense of consistency to the record. With the bold and brash guitar of tracks such as ‘Country Sleaze’ mirroring a sense of violence and discomfort, a more upbeat vibe is brought to the album via tracks such as ‘Little Liar’, a haze of swirling chaos undercut by a catchy bass line and sharp guitar riff. With the sound of birdsong signalling the end of the last track, an album which feels full to the brim with angst, opinion, and demand for someone to listen is brought to a close. Maybe they don’t care if we’re listening. But one thing’s for sure, we are, and we won’t be stopping for a long time to come.
Rating: ★★★★★
“Goat Girl” will be released by Rough Trade Records on April 6th, and will be available on LP/CD/DL, as well as in limited edition bundles. You can pre-order the band’s debut album here.
