New Track

The Girls are actually five guys from Seattle, and their second release on Dirtnap Records, Yes No Yes No Yes No expands on the group's rousing new wave revival  formula. They incorporate a bit of the Cars and Devo into their sound, a little too faithfully at times. At least that’s the first thing you think of after listening to the opening notes of “Where Wolves Drink,” which would give even a couch potato energy to get up and pogo. But it’s not that simple. The Girls' poppy-synth sound is wrapped in short punky sound bites. Their M.O. also reminds me a bit of the Epoxies,another band whose sound and attitude owe more to bouncy early 1980s new wave bands than their edgy or brooding descendants.

On Yes No Yes No Yes No, the Girls gussy up the hook-laden pop of their self-titled debut. Their sound is smoother than punkier contemporaries like the Briefs. Singer Shannon Brown retains the requisite young and snotty punk mannerisms, but has a controlled delivery that’s slightly embellished with vocal quirks. Along with clever, oddball lyrics like "I'm overdue for my night sponge bath/and my date with Sharon Tate", it gives the Girls their own distinct personality. Squiggly keyboards alone aren't enough to make a current new wave band memorable. You need another defining factor to work in tandem with that electronic hyperactivity. Songs like "Who Are the Forgetters?" bring to mind the warm, pre-ProTools sound of Thomas Dolby. The Girls emit a hippest nerds in computer class vibe, as evidenced by titles like "Anthropomorphic" and "You and a Chair." Clearly, these guys have berserk sense of humor and it fleshes out the jingly but intelligent whirl of synth and guitar.