Chorusgirl - Chorusgirl (2015)

Chorusgirl began life when Silvia Wersig grew tired of playing in other people's bands and struck out on her own. The album she cooked up with help from producer Jan Niklas Jansen (and occasionally some members of the live band she put together) proves that her decision was a smart one. Full of chunky, guitar-heavy songs, strong melodies, and Wersig's richly commanding vocals, the record is a brilliant fusion of the '90s and 2010s that calls to mind the Breeders and Dum Dum Girls in equal amounts. Throw in some Wedding Present, a little moody '80s synthy new wave, some Lush at their poppiest, and maybe a little Veronica Falls too, and one has a pretty clear picture of the world Chorusgirl operates in. Oh, the underrated Long Blondes also deserve a mention. Despite this (partial) listing of bands one could draw a straight line back to when discussing influences, put aside any thoughts that Chorusgirl is some kind of vulture merely picking at the bones of the past. Wersig's too good a songwriter to be be written off as a copycat, and the songs are played with enough energy and skill to boost the album far past the realm of pastiche. Songs like the stop-start "Oh, to Be a Defector" and the rampagingly catchy "Girls of 1926" don't sound like copies of anything; they sound as good as the best work of the bands Wersig so obviously loves. The rest of the album shows a knack for songcraft and dramatic arrangement that could only have come from learning from the past and forming it in her own very specific way. It's a neat trick, one that most bands never quite manage, and it makes Chorusgirl an album worth checking out for anyone with an affinity for any of the bands previously mentioned. Or for anyone who likes loud and catchy guitar pop. There is plenty of that here for sure.