Five Right Now: Goat Girl

There’s not many better feelings than discovering a band ‘early-on’. Finding them ahead of their first record deal, or before their headline festival slot, provides you a strong and personal attachment to the band in question. But for a lot of bands, sadly that step to that afore mentioned ‘next level’ can be that step too far. So when a band like Goat Girl, whose debut album made our ‘Missing Mercury nominations’ list back in 2018, continue to top bills, release stand out albums and sell out shows across the country, there’s a feeling of satisfaction that arises. That maybe, just maybe in amongst all the chaos and confusion of the past couple years, great music can still rise to the top.

And the development of Goat Girl has been a superb watch. On All Fours, which arrived on Rough Trade, felt like a sea change in almost every facet of the band. The playing, the depth of sound, the compositions and the lyrics was a clear indicator of their step up to the next stage in their careers.

Ahead of headlining the second night of In the Round this evening, which also features the likes of  PVA and Flâneuse, we caught up with Holly of the band to see who she’d been listening to. These are her picks:

Carmel Smickersgill – Questioning 

Carmel Smickersgill is a relatively new name to me, but I’ve been a fan of her other band Bunny Hoova for a while. Her newest track ‘Questioning’ knocked me sideways a bit. It’s so creative and is somehow industrial, surreal and melodic all at the same time.

It feels a bit like a remix, due, mostly, to the rhythmic vocal loops, which guide the track into a brighter second half, which will leave you feeling dizzy and uplifted.

Hinako Omori – A Journey

Hinako is a lovely, lovely person and an incredible synth player (a phrase that doesn’t really do her justice as I personally think of her more as a kind of synth wizard or magician). She’s just announced her debut album ‘A Journey’, which is coming out via Houndstooth, and its lead/title track landed last week. It’s a masterful and transportive piece that really sucks you in and takes you somewhere serene. It’s sonic escapism at its best and I can’t recommend it enough.

deathcrash – Doomcrash

London slow-core outfit deathcrash are absolute masters at what they do. I like to think of their music as patient prog-rock and their brand-new single ‘Doomcrash’ is a perfect example of this. Sitting at a sliver under nine minutes, the title of the track feels misleading for the most part as whispered vocals and barely tickled drums are just about audible over gently picked guitars. This, however, is a ruse; as the soft instrumentation comes almost entirely to a total standstill before an overwhelming wall of distortion engulfs you. It’s a really powerful piece.

Aldous Harding – Lawn

I’m such a big fan of Aldous Harding, so I was almost nervous to hear what her new single would sound like (in case I didn’t like it). Of course, I shouldn’t have doubted her as I’ve currently got this track on repeat. I love the new vocal approach she takes on ‘Lawn’. It feels a lot softer than on some of her previous tracks, but it’s equally full of character. True to form, the lyrics are quirky and I particularly enjoy the way she chooses not to rhyme in certain places, to mix up the flow. The drop before the chorus also makes it a super addictive and impactful tune.

Try To Reach Me – Sofie

This one’s been out a little longer than the others, but I find myself going back to it time and time again.

I love the breezy vocals, contrasted against the metallic beats which feel contrastingly stiff and stunted. There’s also an addictive instrumental hook, which feels trippy and hypnotic and there’s almost something Broadcast-y about it. The lyrics themselves are really relatable and I love the way it just tails off on a tangent at the end, making it feel like you’re just stumbling across Sofie writing the song in her bedroom or something.

If you’d like to hear more from Goat Girl, check out our exclusive interview, first published in Issue 8 of the zine here

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