Pretty Girls Make Graves

Some listeners will interpret the Girls' third disc as the sort of mainstream move currently being attempted by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- but the alterations in their sound seem inspired more by creative concerns than by commercial calculation. Instead of replacing former guitarist Nathan Thalen with another ax-wielder, the...

By Michael Roberts

April 20, 2006

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Some listeners will interpret the Girls' third disc as the sort of mainstream move currently being attempted by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- but the alterations in their sound seem inspired more by creative concerns than by commercial calculation. Instead of replacing former guitarist Nathan Thalen with another ax-wielder, the players recruited keyboardist/ vocalist Leona Marrs, whose presence smooths some of the group's rough edges without flattening its personality.

Lead singer Andrea Zollo can still whip up a verbal squall, as she does throughout "The Nocturnal House" and toward the conclusion of "Selling the Wind," which also features Marrs's melodica and stirring ahh-ahh-AHHS from the band's boys. This time around, though, she seems most interested in exploring the intricacies of the tunes, be they lyrical (like the references to "esteem's corpse" and "Stygian shores" in "Pyrite Pedestal") or musical (check out the dramatic arrangement of the captivating "Pictures of a Night Scene").

Vital isn't as visceral as the combo's early work, but it's just as memorable. Despite the changes, fans should still dig Graves.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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