Girls

Father, Son, Holy Ghost Fantasytrashcan/Turnstil e ****

Father, Son, Holy Ghost Fantasytrashcan/Turnstile ****

Now that Girls have dispensed with the obligations of their debut – ie, interminable gossip about singer Christopher Owens's past as a cult member – they can get down to the serious business of a follow-up. The former duo's new configuration includes a keyboardist, drummer and guitarist, but the expansion doesn't mean that Girls have lost their singular woozy weirdness. There are strange combinations here, such as Die'sfusion of squealing Black Sabbath riffs and Prefab Sprout-style jangle, and Love Like a River'sauthentic 1950s rock'n'roll rollick. Mymaperfectly illustrates the band's inventiveness, its slow, steady thump breaking under the squelch of guitar and Hammond organ. Despite its overly stretched running time, this is an album with countless depths to plumb and myriad layers to unravel. See facebook.com/ GIRLSsf

Download tracks : Myma, Love Like a River

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy

Lauren Murphy is a freelance journalist and broadcaster. She writes about music and the arts for The Irish Times