Girlpool
Before the World Was Big
Reviewed by: Ziggy Merritt
Honesty, something true to the core values of any particular person, is rare to find in any circumstance. In the debut album, Before the World Was Big by youthful punk rockers Harmony Tividad and Cleo Tucker, honesty remains the essential element, the foundation of a short, half-hour burst of love, living, longing, and the nostalgic pangs of childhood.
The duo sing in harmony with minimal instrumentation and an appropriately lo-fi quality balanced against clear, discernible vocals. They want your attention on the words and the transparency of the message within. Neither of them hide behind polysemous lyrics or feathery vocals, instead everything is laid bare.
They’re at their most heartfelt in “Chinatown” as they depict the alienation of the teenage self saying “cut my hair when I’m feeling like I don’t have a place/and the mirror’s reflection pushes me further away/if I loved myself would I take it the wrong way.” Through these painful and candid lyrics they connect to an audience of rebels, the down and outs, and those who have yet to find their own burgeoning voice. This is all done with such careful sincerity, amplified by their impeccable and raw vocal delivery.
And you miss them when they’re gone. As stated the album clocks in at around a half-hour, enough time for Tividad and Tucker to speak their piece and move on. It doesn’t share the same bite and socially-conscious ferocity of some of their previous releases, instead Before the World Was Big opts for something more deeply personal and heartfelt. For a debut, this strikes a bold statement from a duo who can seamlessly shift between a conscious and vivid depiction of problematic gender roles (listen to “Slutmouth” from their self-titled EP) and their honest sense of self.
Rating: Iconic
