Girls – “Saying I Love You”

The new album from Girls, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, is streaming here, or at least it was when I wrote this (not sure how long it’ll be up). This is my first experience with Girls, and I’m into it. Yes, I recognize the entendre (and I’m into it). I haven’t finished the album yet because I’m bouncing between that and Grouplove’s Never Trust a Happy Song, streaming exclusively at Spin. That one’s really good so far too. Anyway, “Saying I Love You” by Girls jumped out at me so much so that I decided to finally get around to starting that music blog I’ve been thinking about for the last three unemployed, post-college months. So here goes.

“Saying I Love You” sounds like the song the band in Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” video should be playing. Almost everything about this song seems straight out of a late 50s rockabilly showcase. It dives into the first verse with a noticeable twang and a bass line that is either walking from chord to chord or alternating between the root and fourth. The polish on the first stand-out guitar riff is so bright I can see my reflection in it. There’s even a hint of a sort of shuffle-step rhythm in the chorus during which I can’t help but picture the band, smiling and unblinking, doing a two step from side to side. And wearing matching sweaters.

All that being said, I really enjoy this song. There’s nothing wrong with a throwback, so long as it’s either done really well or adds something new. I think this track does both. It feels just as authentic as the great songs it is clearly influenced by both lyrically and musically. It’s a simple tale of heartbreak that can either be ignored, empathized, or feel all too familiar without damaging the value of the song. The turnarounds in the verse and chorus are handled expertly and even after the sixth listen I’m still bobbing my head and enjoying the bright, crisp timbres. The one aspect that disappointed me, or rather the expectations I had established based on the rest of the song, was the instrumental break (not sure I want to call it a guitar solo, that feels like a misnomer in this case), which introduced a pseudo-reggae element that in my opinion fell flat and detracted from what was otherwise a well crafted pop song. It seemed like a cop-out, like when you realize that writing the last couplet in a sonnet is the hardest part so you bail at the last minute. Those early rock guitar solos aren’t easy to write but that doesn’t mean you had to play the first riff that came to your mind, repeat it, and move on.

“Saying I Love You” might not be groundbreaking, but it’s very enjoyable and I recommend it if you want a new, interesting, but overall easy to digest song. And if the album is still streaming give it a twice over because there’s some very cool stuff on there.

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