‘…Girl Group offer zero indication that they are resting on their laurels; their latest EP, ‘Little Sticky Pictures’, approaches highs that have to be heard to be believed…’
Norwegian-British five-piece Girl Group were formed with a singular ambition in mind: the complete destruction of the boy’s club mentality of the music industry, and nothing less. Tired of being left to one side by men during their time at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, the musicians elected to collaborate with a post-punk sound in mind, and from that, their 2023 debut single, ‘Life is Dumb’, was born.
Fast-forwards three years, and the band have performed at Reading & Leeds Festival, supported Olivia Dean in Paris, reached a sizeable 75k listeners on Spotify, established their own label, and have released a debut EP. All of this could have been predicted from the moment one pressed play on the band’s debut; a cohesive vision, remarkable musical talent, a strong work ethic, and an undeniable star quality is an unparalleled recipe for success. Despite these highs, Girl Group offer zero indication that they are resting on their laurels; their latest EP, ‘Little Sticky Pictures’, approaches highs that have to be heard to be believed.
The self-described “big sister” to their debut EP, ‘Think They’re Looking, Let’s Perform’, ‘Little Sticky Pictures’ is bolder, bigger, and more bruising in nature. Sumptuous harmonies and post-punk song structures have become enrobed in floor-filling dance pop, whilst the band offer lyricism that simultaneously sees them angrier, yet more vulnerable. It is a record born from the schism between the desire to break out of the daily experience of misogyny, and the misogyny that has been internalised.‘Rage Song’ rips things open with a look at the infantilisation of men, heralded by a driving, punkish instrumental that perfectly balances minimalist guitar work with luscious waves of synth. Lil Christlow’s spoken word passage is a real highlight, her Yorkshire lilt lending a real, steadfast grit to her spitefully witty lyricism.
Existing both as a simple platonic statement of adoration for women and a sparkling sapphic anthem, ‘She Goes’ is sonic champagne, shimmering with a glamour and spark that you cannot help but be wholly enchanted by. The divine feminine takes form through dark bass lines and flashes of guitar, as waves of electronics intermingle with vocal harmonies saturated with the kind of desire only Aphrodite herself could muster. Yet beneath the conflict of wanting and wanting to be, a flower of jealousy unfurls, taking shape during the companion interlude, ‘Hate The Girls!’; the only thing that tastes sweeter than the woman of your dreams is the sensation of giving into the gossip and cutting her down. The lustrous instrumental of ‘She Goes’ has now shifted to little more than a hypnotic pulse, as the band question whether she’s ever worked, whether she had an easy childhood, and whether she gets everything her way thanks to her appearance. It is choices such as this that elevate Girl Group to the level of something truly special; their capacity to explore their darkest sides with openness whilst keeping the party going is delightfully jarring to behold.
‘Tell Me I’m Pretty’ contains multitudes, serving all once to be a bold bisexual anthem, a declaration of confidence, and a delirious craving for validation. Mia Vel simultaneously positions herself as godlike in her beauty, and completely incapable of believing that to be the case unless “somebody sexy says they agree”. It is perhaps few in number the amount choruses ever written that are as catchy as this one, fuzzy bass pulsing with 80’s lustre atop of a beat that transforms the sidewalk into a catwalk. The crescendoing bridge spirals around you with a dizzying desperation, begging for someone to “break in and steal me” and provide validation at any cost.
The EP is rounded off in a gargantuan manner, with a wickedly brilliant take down of the state of health care for women. ‘SuperDrug’ sees the band prescribing birth control for an increasing number of medical complaints, in a manner that may seem like a ridiculous over-exaggeration to those unacquainted with the abysmal state of female healthcare. Jagged bass melodies give way to choruses of glittering funk, all malaise remedied by a wonder drug. The band don’t simply stop at the surface however, alluding to the unspoken agreement that as long as a woman is fit for sex, she is fit for life (“You but even better/Utilise your, ah/Get you fixed/Get you tits”). The track reaches a dizzying concluding as analogue synths drill down upon the foundations with an overwhelming, dizzying fury, a wave of unrelenting nausea left unresolved.
To compete ‘Little Sticky Pictures’ with ‘Think They’re Looking[…]’ would be to be ignorant of the ethos that the EP was composed with; these bodies of work are individual women that compliment one another. ‘Think They’re Looking[…]’ is the wide-eyed student on her first night out with her best friends, optimistically rebellious. ‘Little Sticky Pictures’ is her older sibling, all too acquainted with and cognisant of the ways in which the system will exploit her femininity, rebellious streak replaced with a righteous anger.
The resulting EP is both scathing and illuminating, as Girl Group strike outwards and look inwards; what does it truly mean to be “feminine”, and how can that construct of gender be separated from a patriarchy that exploits, divides, and silences? These are questions that refuse to be answered easily and singularly, but what ‘Little Sticky Pictures’ offers is an important collection of thoughts on these matters that demand your complete and undivided attention. You won’t be able to look away.
RATING: 89/100
For Fans Of: Wet Leg, Britney Spears, Yard Act, Charli XCX, Panic Shack
Physical copies of the record can be purchased here.
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