Three years after On All Fours release, South London's Goat Girl has dropped their third album to date, Below The Waste. Grungier and harder than its precessor, Max Durno explores Below The Waste through it's haunting soundscape and creative impact.
Very few times before have I seen an album cover that encapsulates the vibe of the associated album as well as Goat Girl’s 2024 album ‘Below the Waste’ does. As I listen and follow the journey of the project, I unwittingly imagine each song crackling through a car stereo, projecting its misty atmosphere onto the twisting, writhing country roads under my wheels.
"the electronic contributions to the overall sound of Below the Waste create an extremely interesting dichotomy against the un-reverberating drum patterns and very diligently mixed vocals"
As unintentionally convoluted as this metaphor may be, the album undoubtedly feels like a late-night drive through the ghoulish forest depicted on the album’s artwork. The simple, haunting harmonisation of the intro track – reprise – sets an effective precedent for the following album; the mechanic hum accompanied by subtle birdsong and childlike melodic vocal musing represents Goat Girl’s dive into a more introspective conceit. The plucked banjos fade off and the voice and guitar talent of Lottie Pendlebury see us into the filth of the proceeding track-list.
Previously known as Clottie Cream, it seems that the lead guitarist has stripped back not only the facade of character, but indeed the joviality of previous projects. It would be ignorant to ignore the impact of the departure of previous band leader Ellie Rose Davies, on this project. Davies left the band promptly after the release of their second album, On All Fours, after discovering she had stage 4 cancer at only 22 years old. Perhaps it is just the creative direction that the remaining members were always inclined to pursue, but the gritty and grungy climate of Below the Waste seems undeniably indicative of a grief sown into the friends surrounding Davies. The delicate and solemn piano ballad ‘take it away’ seems to lean into this concept and is perhaps the emotional trough amongst the ghostly narrative.
"Perhaps it is just the creative direction that the remaining members were always inclined to pursue, but the gritty and grungy climate of Below the Waste seems undeniably indicative of a grief sown into the friends surrounding Davies"
As for the other tracks, ride around serves as a demonstration that Goat Girl has moved further into the gruelling post-punk aesthetic, with black midi producer John ‘Spud’ Murphy lending his indelicate hand to the dirty, metallic production. words fell out sees the return of the sparky banjo sound, as if the trio pose themselves as an evil boygenius type. It is a milestone that marks the distance from the ‘romantic Libertines-esque' style that is associated with their older work.
This being said, tcnc acts as an aggressive reminder that the band have no less fiery passion than before; it’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser, with blaring obnoxious synth lines, and catchy shouted vocal performances. It is certainly a highlight of the album and will be looked forward to by anyone attending their upcoming performances, including as a support band for British emo-rock band Los Campensinos!, who’s disparate timbre aligns nicely with Goat Girl’s new perspective.
Single motorway stitches together gently balanced emotions, and harkens on the driving motif, moving us through the sombre, sobering ride. Again, the electronic contributions to the overall sound of Below the Waste create an extremely interesting dichotomy against the un-reverberating drum patterns and very diligently mixed vocals; all of which are displayed beautifully in this track. It also seems an appropriate moment to mention the artwork which I have mentioned before – each single comes with a gorgeous well-suited digital drawing which couples effectively with the musical child of Pendlebury, Rosy Bones and Holly Mullineaux.
As the creative instrumentation has underpinned each track so far – the flute in where’s ur <3, the violins and keys on tonight and ringing square-waves on s.m.o.g - it continues to do so into the final tracks. jump sludges’ bass riff sits front and centre and coordinates a chaotic collaboration of sound; organ, sub-bass synthesiser, metallic dampened cymbal crashes and distorted scratches form the inorganic and trashy personality of the track.
wasting feels deliberately and exaggerating-ly held back. My body leans into each bar, and motifs from throughout the album are pulled together to deliver a punchy, empowering and mournful finale. Each vocal is doubled by an eidolic harmony, and I can’t help but feel a burning bitterness and anger from the group, concluded with a dirty brass eulogy.
"My body leans into each bar, and motifs from throughout the album are pulled together to deliver a punchy, empowering and mournful finale"
Below the Waste must be the band’s finest achievement yet, and stands as a gruelling, drooling, thrilling project to experience. The misty journey is far from delighted, but spattered with anguish, Goat Girl have been revered for their morose third album, and rightly so.
Max Durno
Edited by Harriet Bodle.
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