MOG Editorial Review

How do you follow up a tremendously personal indie pop debut? If you're San Francisco rockers Girls, you show the world that you have more range than people give you credit for. Fueled by frontman Christopher Owens' rough upbringing in the Child of God cult and a breakup with his girlfriend at the time, Girls' 2009 debut, Album, came from a dark, raw place that couldn't be replicated, and the band's new stopgap EP thankfully avoids trying to do so. Instead, Owens and Chet White begin trying out new sounds and ideas, tightening the songwriting while remaining tender on tracks like centerpiece "Carolina" and using horns on opener "Oh So Protective One." Indie rock has seen plenty of buzz bands come and go, but the strength of this EP is reassurance that Girls are more than mere hype.