EP Review: Hotgirl - 'Blast Off'
Still breaking through the barriers and establishing their name, Dublin outfit Hotgirl are ready to take to the skies and far beyond with their appropriately titled EP Blast Off.
Building upon their chain of singles and the release of their debut EP Sick Sad World, Hotgirl are leading a comeback of 90s indie-rock. With the ultra-soft and semi-gloomy vocals of frontwoman Ashley Abbedeen running the operation, the atmosphere is one of nauseating nostalgia. Dimmed bedroom lights and summer breezes, a sense that has been building over the years, this breaks through in a matter of only four tracks. Their quintessential effort goes to the single 'On The Brink'; a track that paces and runs, that quietens down when it's requested and booms when it's needed. When written on paper, it should not work. But when played with guitar in hand, with drums being struck in the right rhythm, it tells a better story than any author or playwright could piece together.
'Sisyphus', their most recent single release, is a standout for Abbedeen herself. The track that puts her voice front and centre, it allows her to create an image with no fancy tricks to distract listeners. Less is more, and bells and whistles can sometimes take away from the desired effect of musical art, and with a sleek production and soul-deep feel to every lyric, they have achieved this ability to edit early on in their time as a group. This will be a valuable skill for them as their fame and music becomes bigger and stronger, and the demand grips tighter.
Bonding with producer Neil Kennedy to bring out their star power and true potential, Blast Off is Hotgirl's last step away from making their mark on the scene and truly exploding how they deserve. They're on the right path, and hopefully that path stops at a debut record in the next year. Give this fabulous four-piece more time in the record studio, more stellar production, and more chances to work and write and play, and 2025 will belong to them and them alone.
Keep an eye on the sky, as while the year runs on, Hotgirl will surely be blasting off again.
Words by Jo Cosgrove
