Other Girls

With quirky pop hooks and song dynamics that are just shy of anthemic, Cleveland's Other Girls writes songs with a surprising level of sophistication and polish while maintaining a certain urgency and exuberance that makes each performance count. With atmospheric flourishes reminiscent of Band of Horses and a nervous energy similar to that of early Modest Mouse, Other Girls evokes the wall-of-sound aesthetic currently explored by bands like Crystal Stilts and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Comparisons aside, this sounds like a group of guys who have serious real-world demands on their lives but find a joy and vitality in playing music that clearly embodies and transforms the Midwestern experience into greater significance. Flush with romanticism and daydreamy imagination, the Girls are refreshingly free of rustic overtures.