By Geno Thackara
You can’t help admiring how Church Girls bring out the sunny side of whatever they do. Mariel Beaumont’s songs aren’t always themed around pleasant things, but she and this Philly crew clearly have enough fun making music together that it all comes out spunky and contagious. The hooks make sure there’s always something to grab the ears through this appetizing bite of lo-fi indie-folk-punk, and her vocal delivery even makes lines like “I’ll crash my plane into yours and we’ll go down together” sound as inviting as a picnic.
Whether these tunes are full of hard-chugging guitars or soaked in clouds of chiming reverb (or what the hell, sometimes both), there’s a melody to follow and probably a theme anyone can relate to their own life somewhere. The band isn’t opposed to tossing in a little horn or vibraphone for a dash of extra flavor. They spin personal angst into driving road tunes with the jangle-pop of “Just Like You” and the deceptively peppy title track, while “Dead Wood” makes a particularly sweet highlight midway through, grooving on bouncing bass and spring sunshine before the heavy fuzz kicks in again.
It inevitably feels over too soon – not just because Home caps off at a tidy 15 minutes, but because Church Girls clearly have more thoughts to sing and stories to share. Diving into their back catalog makes a good next step, and any more of these tasty morsels down the road will be most welcome.
Rating: Charming
Church Girls Upcoming Tour Dates
October 3 – Roanoke, VA @ Leftovers
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