Based in San Francisco, the indie-pop quartet Girls led by singer/guitarist/songwriter Christopher Owens is a band that meshes modern-day indie-pop with the melodic sensibility of late 50s/early 1960s rock/pop music. Along with members JR White, John Anderson, and Garett Godard, the band managed to get a lot of buzz in the indie circuits as they've caught the attention of critics with their singles. Eventually, the attention would give the band the chance to record their debut album entitled Album. Performed by Girls with songs by Christopher Owens, Album is a record that is a mixture of noisy indie-pop with elements of 1960s surfing music with lyrics carrying a wide range of emotion. The results is one of 2009's most creative and thrilling debut albums of the year.

The opening track and leading single Lust For Life (not the 1977 Iggy Pop classic of the same name) is an upbeat track with driving guitar, bouncy rhythms, and Owens' nasally-rasp vocals. With loopy bass lines and child-like lyrics, the track is then accompanied by rhythmic claps and a soothing harmonica solo as it also includes a ringing guitar flourish. Laura is a bouncy track with bopping rhythms and swanky guitar riffs that is followed by melodic guitar notes and a soothing organ. Owens sings in a raspy vocal with somber, melancholic lyrics with dabbles of anger as it's a soothing yet bouncy pop song with elements of dreamy 1960s guitar-pop. Ghost Mouth is led by a slow, pounding bass line with a bopping, mid-tempo drum track. With soothing, washy guitars and Owens' vocals filled with dark, haunting lyrics. It's a track that revels in a rich sound that includes a melodic-laden guitar solo supported by an upbeat, rollicking drum fill.

God Damned is led by a flourish of melodic, acoustic guitar arpeggios that becomes a more swift, driving performance with hollow, fast bongo playing. With Owens' raspy vocals growling through with desperate, melancholic lyrics, it's a fantastic acoustic track that is mean but also catchy. Big Bad Mean Mother F*cker is a noisy, surf-rocker with bouncy rhythms, droning bass lines, and chainsaw-laden guitar noises with Owens' high-pitch raspy vocals. Recalling the energy of surf rock, it's a song that sounds like the perfect soundtrack for the surfer with a bad attitude that is there to ruin a nice party. The near-seven minute Hellhole Ratrace is a ballad of sorts with dreamy, guitar arpeggios and soft percussion tracks. With its heartbreaking lyrics and Owens' emotional, raspy vocals, it's the album's real highlight as it includes soft, pounding beats, waves of noisy guitars, and soothing backing vocals with superb production supporting all that is happening.

Headache is a dreamy, atmospheric track led by swoons of guitar melodies, soft rhythms, and Owens' vocals that recall the essence of somber, late 1950s guitar pop with arpeggio flourishes. With slow, pounding beats in the background and Owens' idiosyncratic, dream-like lyrics, it's a superb track with rich production that is truly entrancing. Summertime arrives with fast, washy guitar tracks and noisy swirls that is followed by pounding, mid-tempo rhythms that includes a wobbly bass line. With Owens' singing in a high-pitch rasp, the song includes lyrics of the joys of summer as it includes a wave of noisy guitar swirls that recalls the sound of shoegaze. Lauren Marie is a haunting ballad with a droning keyboard track accompanying hollow, raspy vocals by Owens. With spurting guitars and an array of pounding, hollow percussion, the track also includes lyrics of desperation and heartache which features a twangy guitar solo.

Morning Light opens with sounds of noisy guitar swirls that is followed by a fast, punk-driven track with rollicking rhythms, snarling guitars, and Owens' raspy vocals with its esoteric lyrics. With a break of bass-pounding drum fills, it's a song that recalls the element of punk with dabbles of noise-pop. Curls is an instrumental led by arpeggio guitar flourishes with dreamy, melodic chimes in the background along with soft cymbal crashes and a swooning keyboard track. The album closer Darling is a mid-tempo track with a smooth, bouncy rhythm with swooning bass line, rollicking drum fills, and washy guitar tracks. With Owens' raspy vocals and dreamy lyrics, the track includes a melodic guitar solo as it delves into soothing 1960s guitar-pop with a bouncy rhythm as it serves as a fitting close to the album.

Album is a brilliant debut release from Girls, who are definitely a band that is worth the time for anyone that loves indie-pop. With today's more mainstream pop bands more focused on creating sentimental ballads with a polished sound that is safe for radio. Girls is a band that is more about creating songs that are catchy but also creative in its imagination while adding some edge into their sound. In the end, Album is a record that lives up to the critical hype as it's a must-have for anyone that likes smart, fun, catchy indie-pop that is all over the place but with a sense of adventure.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Hanging With Friends