girls

Beach Boys般的阳光爽朗和The Beatles跨入七O年代的迷幻神采，溷合着粗犷不羁的Lo-Fi质地，Christopher Owens和Chet “JR” White这两个隐身在「女孩」背后的大男孩，音乐裡没有故作姿态的隐喻或华丽词藻，直率地说着关于心碎、寂寞和逝去恋情的种种，复古迷濛的酸楚，紧紧牵系着每个人关于青春的记忆。
 
然而，这混杂甜美和苦涩的浪漫背后，却是Christopher Owens成长于「上帝之子」（Children of God）异教社群交织着自杀、卖淫的晦暗童年，但也是在这个地方，让他从「教友」前Fleetwood Mac吉他手Jeremy Spencer手中获得第一把吉他，并从这个与外界流行文化隔绝的封闭世界，吸纳六、七O年代的音乐养分，进而酝酿出属于Girls的独特怀旧声响。
 
耽溺于过往恋情的开场曲〈Lust For Life〉和〈Laura〉，洋溢着Beach Boys式的和谐旋律；〈Hellhole Ratrace〉拉扯着伤痕累累的心灵，瀰漫宛如Spiritualized的深幽迷幻；〈Morning Light〉、〈Headache〉分别带来深邃迷乱的Shoegazing气息和Dream pop迷濛动人的温度，至于「台湾特别盘」收录的〈Oh Boy〉和重新翻玩乡村名曲〈End Of The World〉，则有着Bradford Cox附身般的惨情绝美。
 
失去时序标记的颓靡气味，五颜六色的迷幻药物，日以继夜的海滩派对，Girls音符中彷彿六、七O年代嘻皮的生活态度，将青春的直接和纯粹都被埋入梦幻糖衣包覆的苦果中，你可以说他单纯无知或不识愁滋味，但，青春或许就该如此挥霍啊！
San Francisco duo Girls make druggy, ethereal pop in the spirit of Spiritualized and Ariel Pink. Christopher Owens was born in Florida, son to a mother and father who were actively involved as members of the Children of God cult, and spent most of his childhood drifting. After moving across Puerto Rico, Asia, and Europe, and having his first experiences as a street musician singing carols in a Children of Gods kids choir, he became disenfranchised with his lifestyle after catching a peak of American pop culture on TV, and decided to break away and move to the States. At 16, Owens raised enough money by playing guitar on the streets for a plane ticket; he joined his older sister who lived in Amarillo, TX. Without a proper education, he resorted to stocking shelves at a grocery, and eventually became friends with some punks who regularly stole from the store. He shaved his hair into a Mohawk and joined a hardcore band called Hubris. Four years later, with the help of an older, wealthy music enthusiast who took Owens under his wing and gave him a part-time job, he moved to San Francisco to pursue a new life as a painter. Once there, he met Liza Thorn, and started a band with her called Curls. In the bustling nightlife, she introduced him to Matt Fishbeck, who invited him to play with up-and-comers Holy Shit!, and later connected him to JR White. A kindred spirit, with a less-sprawling background, White had grown up in Santa Cruz with liberal-minded teachers, and besides playing in some punk groups and learning about recording, he'd spent the majority of his twenties in San Francisco as a cook by day and slacker by night. With a common love of drugs and music, the two started making music together and eventually earned a deal with Matador's baby label True Panther Sounds.