U.S. Girls is really just one girl. In fact, a woman, and her name is Meghan Remy from Toronto, Ontario. She’s been around for awhile, and despite some people saying I’m an aging hipster with his finger on the pulse of music, I had never heard of her until my beloved record label 4AD signed her for at least this one release. The first single, ‘Damn That Valley’, along with its bright red, white & blue themed artwork, had me instantly intrigued. One of those first listens where you can just tell there is something really special at play here. It was almost reggae, it was almost trip-hop, but whatever it was it felt very politely subversive, adventurous, and sonically it was like walking through an otherworldly carnival. Two more singles followed in the same vein, ‘Woman’s Work’ and ‘Window Shades’, both feeling like lost tracks from another era that you just can’t pinpoint. Her songs are that much of a collage, and although elements sound familiar, the way she puts them all together make them feel familiar, but incredibly fresh. The track ‘New Age Thriller’ is the perfect example of this, and the title says it all. It sounds like the theme song, or musical anchor of a pivotal scene of said new age thriller. The driving bass, the repetition, the dark & sneaky vibe it conveys. It feels like something you’ve experienced before. But where? This to me is Ms Remy’s talent – to have this underlying feeling of mystery from how she shapes all the sounds into these aural collage that become an almost déjà vu experience. Her voice may not be for everyone and that is fair. Most people may not remember the band Cranes from the late 80s/early 90s – fronted by Alison Shaw and her “baby” voice as many would refer to it as – but many times it’s what I’m reminded of here. Just a more nasally version. And with a weird reggae lilt going on at times. I’m sure a lot of individual elements here are not for everyone, but when listened to as a whole, it’s a pop record, with plenty of creepy beats and atmospherics to keep this album interesting and exciting no matter how many times you listen to it. It’s a short record unfortunately at just over 30 minutes long – but with all the variety included in that half-hour, there’s just nothing to complain about.

Label

4AD