EP Review: Girli - 'Damsel in Distress'
Girli feels to be on something of an inevitable, unavoidable rise. One which will surely be furthered by this new EP titled Damsel in Distress. It’s 5 tracks address a whole host of topics such as love, dysmorphia and self discovery through the medium of pop bangers in a way that feels so unique to Girli.
More Than A Friend starts us off. with a sparse instrumentation. Sooner than later we’re hit with buzzing synths and layered vocals that hit you side to side, almost creating this kind of pathetic fallacy with the back and forth confusion expressed within the lyrics. There’s a yearning to the vocals and that refrain. It’s absolutely my idea of perfect pop in 2021.
Second track Dysmorphia makes it clear that Girli is unafraid of both being brutally honest lyrically and being big pop musically. Between the pulsing chorus and thrumming verses there’s a strong set of lyrics, laying out in detail Girli’s relationship with her inner saboteur and feelings of body dysmorphia. Ricochet follows, seeing Girli slip more into the rap side of her vocal stylings. Tense verses snap into choruses that would shake the rafters of almost any building you played it in.
Ruthless was the forth single off of Damsel in Distress and it’s clear to me why. Verses outline a desire to return to a simpler time. Then the pre chorus with it’s swooning vocals, offset by the lyrics outlining various dysfunctions within a relationship, leads into a chorus that breaks towards hyperpop. A busy beat, processed vocals and a variety of textures flitting about. The
I Don’t Like Myself rounds the release out and it’s a fairly open book lyrically. It is what it says on the tin but Girli’s straight forward lyrics and almost deadpan speak singing present these familiar feelings in a way that really resonates. Then there’s the chorus that comes around and presents the duality of a negative self view in such an accurate way. The track ends the EP addressing similar themes to the songs before it but in a more open, optimistic way.
If you’re a fan of pop that’s slightly more alternative in it’s aesthetics and themes then Girli is absolutely for you. Her songs on this release do such a good job of balancing the banger with the emotion. The songs have clear themes and meanings you can tap into while still being the sort of songs that you just want to see live. There’s a great opportunity to do just that too with Girli touring throughout November and December.
Words by Nathan Blackstone