Powerplant

Description

Life has been a whirlwind for Girlpool since the release of their highly acclaimed debut album Before the World Was Big in 2015. Just before the album came out, Harmony Tividad and Cleo Tucker had moved from their hometown of Los Angeles to Philadelphia, where they quickly made a name for themselves in the local DIY scene. Girlpool crafted an image with a simple sound – two guitars and two voices – with no other accompaniment. It was an intimate and unique sound that characterized this first effort, giving the impression that the two artists were alone against the rest of the world. With their new album, Powerplant, Girlpool is trying something new by surrounding themselves with a full band. For over 10 days in August 2016, the group confined themselves in a studio in Los Angeles to record and mix Powerplant with Drew Fischer. For the first time, Harmony and Cleo are joined by a third musician, drummer Miles Wintner. The two musicians were heavily inspired by Elliott Smith, The Cranberries, the Cocteau Twins, Brian Eno, Arthur Russell, and Graham Nash; influences that are evident both in the guitar riffs of tracks like Fast Dust or She Goes By and in the dissonant noise of Corner Store or Soup. But what makes Powerplant an electric album is the way the artists use incisive lyrics, soft textures, muted harmonies, and soaring hooks to evoke maximum emotional impact in the listener. At those precise moments, when Harmony and Cleo's voices intertwine to deliver messages from the depths of their hearts, the Girlpool symbiosis takes effect. For those who love: Elliott Smith, Arthur Russell, Cocteau Twins, Wilco…