Concert Review: Girl Ray Give Estrogen Pop To Bowery Ballroom
Known as Estrogen Pop, Girl Ray were a sonic nose-dive into the female mind. Young, bright, and coy at opening up, the North London Trio filled Bowery Ballroom with dreamy guitar melodies that glistened through lyrics about feeling rather dull. Lord knows we all have to “try”; the question is do we have to fail?
“Stupid Things”, “The Way We Came Back”, and “Don’t Go Back At Ten” felt ripped from every female’s diary on “that night” they tried to look cool, in front of a crush, but failed miserably. Maybe, it is social pressure or human nature, but we all try to impress everyone, and, usually, find we have failed to impress ourselves. Yet, being a woman, that is often objectified, means you will find such moments a bit harsher because a human gets rejected but an object gets ignored. In their shy wit, Girl Ray represented what it is to be a diamond sparkling under coal, and Poppy’s vocals broke the rough of not simply having your opinion tossed but your being unseen.
Girl Ray – Don’t Go Back at Ten (Official Video)
Poppy could easily have headed The Velvet Underground. She sings like Nico’s “These Days” on a blissful loop. Her lax style and slacker-pop approach to the microphone reminded me of the Chelsea artists, and how they perused NYC’s galleries and underworlds to create and feel life. Now, of course, Girl Ray has no “underworld” vibe. On the contrary, their guitar melodies are light, and even their words on self-doubt come off light-hearted; like the daily jabs you take to your self-esteem. Yet, Poppy’s capacity to sound both deep and effervescent in her vocality emanated their songs’ themes; you can only chip at your statued confidence so much until your left with no marble.
Girl Ray – Stupid Things (Official Video)
Girl Ray may have been brief on the stage, but they left a presence and a potential over the crowd. There was a feeling that you could and would see more from the three ladies making jams that were like indie-pop rocks crackling in “coca-cola” fizzed hooks. For More Information on Girl Ray Click Here.
Girl Ray – I’ll Make This Fun (Official Video)