Girlpool
Before The World Was Big

The (more or less) alternative scene of the '00s was characterized by the presence of numerous power duos.

Among others, there were Lightning Bolt, Death From Above 1979, and Om: all three structured solely on the rhythm section; the guitar-drum blues-rock of White Stripes and Black Keys and the alt-rock of Japandroids and No Age; finally, the more melodic and "pop" side of CocoRosie and Beach House.

Decidedly peculiar is the formula of Girlpool: two very young girls from L.A. who, both in studio and live, present themselves as a power duo bass-guitar. Minimal and (partially) lo-fi, the sound that Girlpool offers is an indie pop with a punk and naïf aesthetic.

The riot grrl component is rendered in a intimate manner and is recognizable more in the use of vocals rather than in the lyrics. The vocal component is divided between the voices of Harmony (bass) and Cleo (guitar), who sing (almost always harmonizing in unison) about teenagers facing the first signs of post-adolescence and adulthood, and stories linked to childhood, before the world was big.

Inevitable comparisons to the songwriting of Kim Deal (for the bass lines) and in the more acoustic tracks ("Dear Nora" and "Chinatown") with ex-Moldy Peaches Kymia Dawson; other traceable influences are early Modest Mouse and, among more recent names, the Vivian Girls.

The best tracks, and the most representative of their musical identity, are "Ideal World" (placed first for a reason) and the title track. There's also room for two slightly atypical episodes like "Pretty," an unconventional ambient with plenty of marine field-recordings, and the skit "Magnifying Glass."

"BTWWB" is an album that in just 25 minutes concentrates everything there is to know, at least for the moment, about Girlpool's music.

P.S.: Included in the list of bands recommended by Wilco