Girls

Like debut Album, Girls' second effort starts with a lament about signer/guitarist Chris Owen's love life. "They don't like my bony body, they don't like my dirty hair," he sings, seeming to indicate that not much has changed since Owens and bandmate JR White burst onto the scene in 2009. But Father, Son, Holy Ghost is the first Girls record to feature a full band, with the pair rounded out by drummer Darren Weiss, keyboardist Dan Eisenberg and guitarist John Anderson. And the expanded collaboration shows ― the songs are tighter and the production cleaner. While the album looses some of the naïve amble of Album, Owens has tapped into a more soulful croon, for which his band provide an apt soundtrack, particularly on "Love Like a River" and "Jamie Marie." Most of this record walks a thin line between the scrappiness of "Honey Bunny" and the AOR of "Alex," which sounds like latter-day Teenage Fanclub: the songwriting's great, but it lacks the energy of the past. Thankfully, Girls redeem themselves one track later, as the band get let loose on the mostly instrumental "Die." Though it may lack some of the charm of their debut, Father, Son Holy Ghost is an improvement in almost every way.