Girlpool Presents Women at Both Ends of the Spectrum
The elevator pitch for the indie folk duo, which will play Republic Thursday night.
The elevator pitch for the indie folk duo, which will play Republic Thursday night.
[This is the first piece from new contributor Lisa Chupp.]
Who: Girlpool
What: Lo-fi Indie female duo
When: Thursday, June 15
Where: Republic, 828 S. Peters St.
Why: Although minimalistic and low-fi, Girlpool is compellingly cute. With lyrics like “I want to be a puzzle super glue into you” on "Corner Store," and “she’s like a shelf the way she looks at the wall” on Powerplant, it’s hard to listen to the duo without cracking a smile. Girlpool is able to describe the confusion of being a woman in the 21st century while maintaining an amateur glow. Ranging from strangely surrealist banter to romantic thoughts and at times down right depressing (“They call me wonderful, what a joke. A stillness that hopes”), Girlpool captures the droning ache of maturing into womanhood.
The amateur, lo-fi sound complements the message of the clever lyrics by juxtaposing level-headed feminine ambition with expected behaviors. In this sense, Girlpool reflects what society expects of woman on both ends of the spectrum, from traditional values to die-hard feminism. They are cute and docile as well as edgy, dynamic, and smart. On “123,” these powers are directly in conflict. The song begins slowly and softly but builds with the thumping of the drums and the duo yelling, almost like they were trapped in the beginning of the song. Girlpool, in this essence, captures the “indie-girl-next-door.” Silky and rough working in tandem to contradict notions of femininity and deconstruct gender norms all together.
