video: "Girl" - Girl Ray
words: Sean Fennell
Sometimes relationships are complicated — a russian doll of feelings, expectations, insecurities and misunderstanding. But sometimes, they aren’t. The opening line from London-based trio Girl Ray’s newest single, “Girl”, doesn’t mess around with all that ambiguity. “I’ve got a lot of love to give // You’ve got a lot of love to give”. Sometimes, it’s just that simple.
Of course, “Girl” is far from simple, from its low-key bounce to its piercing synth melody, the single is a tight display of a band hitting their stride. For a band who started their run comparing themselves to such acts as, “Neutral Milk Hotel, Pavement and Cate Le Bon” (a list of pure catnip to this writer), “Girl” is a bit of a left turn. That being said, the idea of 20-year-olds changing taste and style is about as surprising as it is to find Girl Ray can, in fact, accomplish this shift so seamlessly. The more twee, guitar rock affectations may be gone, but the underlying groove and sheer skill of “Girl” is what has you singing the synths and shaking around like Tina Belcher. This laid-back assurance drips from the single’s video, a hypnotizing jaunt of vintage cars, ocean-views, sepia-tone nights and a casual confidence that making Girl Ray one of the most exciting young bands going.
Girl Ray’s new album, Girl, is out 10/8 on Moshi Moshi.