CLEVER GIRLS EMPLOY WISTFUL POP AND ARDENT ROCK TO ESTABLISH THEIR UNIQUE SOUND WITH ‘CONSTELLATIONS’

Vermont quartet Clever Girls are set to release their sophomore LP, Constellations, via Egghunt Records on Friday March 26, 2021. Clever Girls employ wistful pop and ardent rock to establish their unique sound of nostalgic pop rock.

The album begins with “Come Clean,” where the small moments of deliberately brief tumult wrapped in dreamy yearning pop sets the tone for the rest of the album. Constellations bookends the album with upbeat, dark pop that lends itself to the dreamy aesthetic found throughout the LP. “Lavender” and “Remember Pluto” bring warm beats and light indie rock that transition into space-themed dark pop, and this structure can be seen mirrored in the near-closing tracks “Stonewall” and “Saturn.” Between the spacey hooks and distant-but-warm grooves, is the core intensity of the album.

The cosmic undertones in the songs that bookend the album pair well with the dark resonance that hits around mid-album. “Womxn” comes with a hearty bass line paired with mellow lyrics and quirky, unconventional guitar that I can only describe as belonging in the Red Room dance scene from the Twin Peaks television show. Eventually this track grows big and noisy but continues to stay dark and writhing.

“Baby Blue,” brings about a bit of a reprieve from the intensity in the last track with its reaching 80s-reminiscent hooks and pulsing beat before flawlessly transitioning into the spacey and interesting montage-esque title track, “Constellations.” Right back into the big sounds with the intro to “Spark,” we can hear moments of the album flash through this track. There are sequences of warm pop rock, intense crescendos and distant dark tones before a light, dreamy outro that fades into “Stonewall.” The album concludes with “Fried,” a song with a driving, growingly optimistic sound. This song grows into a warm crescendo and slowly fades into closure.

Constellations contains a range of emotional pop while working from dreamy tones of nostalgic rock. Whether you are looking for a new, yet familiar sound in dark pop rock, or find yourself yearning to hear the sounds of the cosmic ether, be sure to preorder and stream Constellations on March 26.

TAGS: Clever Girls | Egghunt Records