The first mournful strains of “Baby’s Got A Dream,” the opening cut from Sweet Nothings, the fourth album by Girls Guns and Glory, set the tone.
Ward Hayden croons like a lovelorn Chris Issak, drunk from defeat, his heart broken and bleeding in his hand.
The window is open, your hand is out
Searching for something, you want it now
There’s only so much to go around
And while I’m treading water, the ship is going down
Then at the 1:27 mark, the gates open, and the entire band kicks in, pressing the throttle down, like a flaming machine driving straight into the storm, jangly guitars and thundering kickdrum propelling this dark voyage into the unknown.
She loves me not, pick the petals and watch them drop
‘Til the last one remains
Pick them back up, needle and thread and all stitched up
Play the game again
Don’t worry now, things will never be the same
Over the next 10 cuts, the Boston, MA-based band kicks up dirt, spits whiskey in the eye and plants a flag firmly in the ass of tired, cliched country.
But make no mistake, there ain’t no happy ending to be found here.
By the time you reach “Universe Began,” the closing track, Hayden and Co. (Paul Dilley on electric and upright bass,
Michael Calabrese on drums and Chris Hersch sharing vocals plus electric guitar and banjo) have come full circle and back face to face with unrequited, unreturned love.
In one of the saddest refrains ever written, Hayden whispers on “Universe Began”:
The universe began and someday it’s going to end
I’ll love you til my heart gives out
You keep on telling me we’d be better off as friends
I’ll love you til my heart gives out
In between, though, there’s a few serious drinking songs, a whole lot of heartbreak and some of the finest damn music to come out yet this year.
Do yourself and your stereo a favor, go find this album. Buy it, download it, borrow it from your friend (but be prepared not to give it back). Sweet Nothings is not only Essential Listening, it’s an early candidate for Album of the Year.
Girls Guns and Glory – Baby’s Got a Dream
Girls Guns and Glory – Sweet Nothings
Girls Guns and Glory – Universe Began
Girls Guns and Glory’s Official Site, Girls Guns and Glory on Facebook, Girls Guns and Glory on Spotify, Buy Sweet Nothings
John Allman
In 1975, my parents made a fateful decision, the first of many, that set me upon my chosen path. They took me with them to see "Jaws." In the bathroom, after the movie ended, my Dad said he heard a young voice saying over and over, "Smile you son of a bitch." He opened the stall door to find his 5-year-old son gleefully blasting the bowl with urine the way Roy Scheider blew up the air tank in the shark's mouth. Two years later, they took me with them to see the King, Elvis Presley, mere months before his unfortunate death. Elvis wasn't on his A game as he stumbled through a two-night, sold-out stand at the old Charlotte Colosseum. But we had floor seats, row 22, and my mother was shrieking like a schoolgirl. Women everywhere in the arena were freaking out. I just remember thinking, why is the big man in the jumpsuit cussing so much on stage? That's right - Jaws and Fat Elvis, my earliest memories of film and music, two defining moments in my young life. Today, thankfully, I have evolved from those humble beginnings to have an appreciation for most cinematic and musical genres. But my heart remains rooted in those formative years. I still love horror more than any other type of movie, and I choose to remember Elvis from his Sun Records days, long before the white jumpsuit, when he was full of swagger and fire, helping build a label defined by the all-time greats.
On a whim I picked up this band’s EP and played it on my college radio show four years ago. It’s good to know they’re still around!