Album Premiere: boygrrl – ‘Lamb’
Posted: by The Editor
Boygrrl delivers a textured dark synth, warped bass and rhythm, and somatically real and painful lyrics on Lamb. This album is all flourish and dejection, intoxication and innocence, and unadulterated change for the better. If you somehow don’t listen to a single other track, everyone and their mother should check out the gut punch of “mother.” The twinkling innocent opening juxtaposed with the monologue of a rejecting parent gave me a chill. When the quick beats’ somber darkness broke through in the second half of the track, my heart sank into my stomach. The Philly artist’s confusing surrealist sound lets a listener float where the sharp introspective lyrics sound may make one drown–the helplessness of “limen” hits with lines like “Can you tell God I’m sorry?” Lamb’s subject material ranges from the sensual to Isaac and Abraham, the fear and trembling felt before the joy of the Trans experience, and relationship regrets felt in liminal spaces. Her clearheadedness in “this is not the place” hands us “this is not the space I thought I’d take” before turning to an uplifting “this is making change.”
Boygrrl’s time in Chicago becomes clear when some beats become more mechanical, almost drill-adjacent compared to the typical A.G. Cook hyperpop sound we’ve all gotten used to. Tune in fifteen seconds into “cause of death” to hear what I’m talking about. It’s interesting, it’s neat. If likened to other artists, I’d happily argue with you about specifics of Aphex Twin, glaive, doin’ fine, Ilysm, TAMAGACHI MASSACRE, or Rural Internet. Overall, Mia has taken a step back from impaling danceable glitch for a more emo-synth atmosphere approach to this era of hyperpop, and it has me excited for the future of Boygrrl. Check out Lamb a day early below.
Lamb is out tomorrow.
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Anne Hurban | @fyrbrdtransanne
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