Father, Son, Holy Ghost (Bonus Track Version)

iTunes Review

Far removed from the bedroom-recording feel of Album, Girls take a spectacular step forward on their second full-length. Father, Son, Holy Ghost is dense, lush, and layered with particular care placed on capturing Christopher Owens’ voice. His vocals—the songs’ main focus—are still vulnerable and unguarded. The same elements that made Album and their 2010 Broken Dreams Club EP arresting and different are here yet delivered on a grander and more colorful scale. West Coast pop and psychedelic rock remain touchstones (“Honey Bunny” and “Magic” are pop gems), but here those styles are starting points for new and unexpected explorations. The tracks can vary wildly from each other yet work brilliantly as a collection. “Die” and “Vomit” feature elaborate intros, extended jams, and trippy guitar solos, while the soulful “Love Like a River” builds to a gospel-inspired crescendo with thick organ fills and backup singers. “Just a Song,” “My Ma,” and the sprawling, eight-minute “Forgiveness” are intricate, hypnotic ballads, and the heartbreaking and spare “Jamie Marie” is emotionally affecting.