Girlpool take an unusual but simple musical setup and craft a short, fun debut release out of it. The duo of Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad use a guitar, a bass, and vocals. The lack of drums gives them an interesting sound; they bring to mind an angrier, socially conscious Kimya Dawson. Energetic opener “Blah Blah Blah” finds Girlpool dealing with a vacillating, emotionally distant significant other, often while singing in unison but not quite in tune.
Decrying shabby treatment while singing in unison but not quite in tune is something that the duo does very well throughout these seven songs. The almost-funky “Jane” is about the titular woman standing up for herself by punching Tommy in the mouth for his verbal indiscretions. “Slutmouth” muses about sexism, both overt and subtle, to a catchy, singsongy chorus. Girlpool EP works because these lyrical sentiments seem honest without being sanctimonious. Simultaneously, there’s an appealingly raw quality to the simple guitar-bass setup that makes the shaky blending of the vocals seem like a quirky asset instead of something that needed more practice.