Set the table for a fun, emotional experience.
British duo Girlhood return to their roots as a true band with their fourth album This Will Make Sense In The End, releasing November 5th via OK! Good Records. Following two albums of online work and a variety of guest vocalists, the group’s new LP goes back to basics of members Natalie Holmes and Christian Pinchbeck working together in the same room. The result is a fun, laid-back indie pop record that has its memorable moments, but does also blend together at times.
A defining trait that stands out straight away is the ample degree of instrumental and production creativity on the record. Pinchbeck pulls no punches when it comes to his work on the instrumentation, with a great amount of variety and versatility of sounds from track to track making the album experience come to life and surround the listener with a delightfully whimsical soundscape. This is backed up by the deliveries and lyrics that Holmes brings to the table; despite the content itself being quite serious thematically in places, going through the ups and downs of relationships, nostalgia and more, the constant food metaphors and other writing decisions add a degree of whackiness to it that is mostly quite charming and doesn’t hinder the impact of the concept. The lyrical imagery is quite cinematic, building a world for the album to live in and decorating that world with a lot of color. Holmes’ vocals are soft and gentle in tone, but she does excellently working them all around the instrumentals in different, fun ways at points; the harmonies and backing vocals add a great deal of texture as well.
The biggest flaw of the record is that a lot of the tracks, particularly on the first half, begin to feel quite similar to one another as the album goes on. The first six tracks are all centered around pretty much the same drum pattern and groove, which, past a certain point, makes them a little challenging to tell apart – though some, such as “Picnic” or “Straight To The Bar”, do stand out. There is more variety in the final third of the record, but getting to it starts to feel at times like sitting through one very long song. Arguably the biggest highlight of the record is the third-last track, “Born Hungry”, with a mesmerizingly gorgeous instrumental and masterful sample work, as well as a genuine and engaging performance from Holmes.
Overall, This Will Make Sense In The End is a project with a unique charm and a compelling concept held back somewhat by some rhythmic repetition and a little excess of quirkiness in a few moments. However, Girlhood’s decision to work together in person again certainly helps the musicality of the record feel more natural and authentic, and both members’ respective duties are mostly performed very well. It’s a quite enjoyable listening experience, and a pretty impressive body of work from the point of view of the diversity of the composition.
7.2/10
