Sometimes a band’s writing influences are obvious, but that can be the fast track to finding a new favourite artist. In a press release for sophomore record Pure Love, Oslo trio Mall Girl very specifically outlined their new set of songs being borne from “a major kick on Midwest Emo” and endless listens to Big Thief’s idiosyncratic and mind-blowing composition on Simulation Swarm. As someone that falls into regular winter blues escapism with exclusively aughts and tens emo, I felt a kindred spirit with a band I was unfamiliar with before even giving their latest a spin.
Granted, for our shared magnetic pull to jingling math-rock and clean channel emo, my initial thoughts of a ‘copycat’ rendition of the aforementioned sounds were put to bed pretty quickly. They manage to be a bit like a mellowed Hella, or even ‘Domi and JD Beck covers American Football’. That’s testament to the tight drumming chops of Hannah Veslemøy Narvese and Iver Armand Tandsether’s scattergun technique on the guitar neck. Yet, far from the crowd, there’s a dream-pop nuance that ties the ends together. Bethany Forseth-Reichberg’s trance-like vocalisations evoke the hypnotic nature love can put you in, with these young minds certainly frustrated by the emotion.
Yep, this album’s fairly big on love, especially its way of making the stomach or brain turn a bit fuzzy. Opener Inzane nails that down, duly delivering the lament “something about you makes me go inzaaaane!” as it’s written, segueing into hallucinogenic dreamy string sections plus a shimmery guitar break that pulsates beautifully. Flitting in and out of moods suits the theme, employed throughout. Inside Out is mostly soft if it wasn’t for the huge helping of head-bopping groove. Super Lazy Girl is far from what its title suggests, playing off a snoozy slowed chorus with zipwire guitars and Narvese’s peppery snares.
Each track may employ multiple movements, but it’s all backed by some well implemented production choices where nothing stays in one lane for too long. You may be thrown off with an acoustic finger-picked pop number that sounds like an Olivia Rodrigo deep cut (for all the right reasons on Glu Myself 2 U), until more distorted handiwork breaks the poppy spell. A lot of math-based music can take mazey lead licks down a cul-de-sac, but Mall Girl manages to make the plinky-plonk stuff more purposeful. Even when featuring pounding drums and a solo-of-sorts, English Breakfast is big on hooks, for example.
Speaking of purpose, Forseth-Reichberg’s lyrics show a lot of candour, mostly laying out a series of “I wants”. English Breakfast makes the signs of liking someone obvious—“I would like to drink some tea”, “I just wanna hang out” etc.—and the sub-two minute Emo Shred drills the point home with “I just want you, I don’t want anything but you.” While immediately seeming repetitive, it highlights the anger of true love’s simple mundanity that belies its complicated nature, like the suggest situationship on the title track (“don’t want to be another, but I’ll be yours tonight”), which also asserts bags of confidence (“can’t you see, dear, how I’ve grown?”). Love’s a meandering journey for better or worse, felt by us all, and Mall Girl admirably addresses its multiple forms.
It’s no mean feat to convey one of the most misunderstood emotions of the human condition, let alone to do so through a brand of dream-pop-centred emo math-rock, but this breakout Norwegian outfit has endeavoured to do just that to great effect. There’s a myriad of left turns to keep you on your toes, obvious musical chemistry, and a lighter take on convoluted playing styles that’s a refreshing revitalisation of a sound noodled to near death. For many of us, the umbrella brand of emo will never stop bringing out belters. It’s pleasing to know there’s loads of its champions out there still delivering the goods.
For fan of: Pool Kids, covet, CHON
‘Pure Love’ by Mall Girl is released on 26th January on Jansen Records.
Words by Elliot Burr
