'Count to Ten' EP by Little Girl Screaming
Review
As I suspect came across when I was able to announce that Little Girl Screaming were part of the lineup (along with The Muthas, Le Hev Hev and Lucifer Sky) at our fundraiser for The Tin on October 3rd, there was a certain amount of glee on my part.
They've not played in Coventry for more than a decade so you perhaps need the experience of gig going in the earlier years of this century to realise how much they stood out for their melodic and acerbic songs which cut through much of the stagnancy and homogeneity of the times. I maintain with much passion that their influence can be felt strongly in the vibrant scene of today: however such has been the passage of time in a notoriously fast changing medium that I suspect not only will many current audiences not be too aware of their music but even some of the affected artists who possibly inherited bits of LGS DNA via intermediary influences.
So I'm pleased they will be reminding us of their artistry though given the issues of logistics for a band spread far & wide geographically, a Friday night on a working week means that we'll be witnessing band founders Tree & Chris as a duo.
So what do these songs sound like played in that way? I had no idea either never having heard them thusly. So I was delighted when the pair popped into their longtime recording home of Woodbine Street to record four LGS classics in the format you'll be hearing with John Rivers and the consequent ‘Count To Ten' EP will be out on September 26th for your pleasure and enlightenment before the gig.
If you ever saw them live, you'd hardly miss set climax "Curly Curly Hair" (originally released on the ‘Two Butterflies' EP in 2008): it tended to be extended to astounding levels of passion & stridency. I would have loved to heard it again this time but wondered if they could ever reproduce it in a stripped back form. I needn't have worried as it's on the new EP and as with all really strong, well written songs, has the resilience to work effectively in different settings.
The tone now is perhaps more sympathetic to what is essentially a bit of a stalker: the gentler vocal hints at understanding what problems might have triggered the aberrant behaviour. The sadness inherent in the song now comes more to the fore and I can report it ready & able to resume its place at the top of the set.
You can get a preview of this track via this link:
https://www.facebook.com/100069498595438/videos/628979913400530
"Don't Make A Woman Out Of Me" originally saw the recorded light of day in 1998 on the EP whose title track it was. Here we get to hear Chris mesh guitar parts together (be interesting to see which one he goes for live) while Tree's quintessential LGS lyrics cut just as deeply as they did nearly three decades ago.
"Closer" also had its own EP in 1999 and crops up too in a slightly revised form on ‘Who Am I. Anyway?' (2005) and retains its slightly flamenco style: one might argue perhaps that this aspect at least comes across more when Chris is able to indulge in some rather gorgeous acoustic picking. Over the top, the passion of Tree's singing works equally nicely and the emotional words have a bit more time to whirl round your consciousness. I liked the layered vocals too.
I have to confess with the last track, "Curl Up and Cry" that despite a very considerable Little Girl Screaming collection, I don't have the original studio recording to compare this version with (if indeed there was one). However on the other hand it's given me the chance to enjoy a song I didn't previously know. It sounds perfect in this setting (probably why it was selected for the EP). It's catchy, which frankly is another LGS characteristic and one I can't believe I hadn't cite until now: well in my defence they do have many positive attributes & spreading them around the article probably is a good idea. (After publishing this review, Chris has confirmed that "Curl Up and Cry" had not been recorded before & so like me, you are hearing it here for the first time).
Generally the songs are much warmer in tone than the original versions: inevitable given the switch from the more trebly indie guitar sounds to an acoustic but all key riffs remain in place & the impact on what Tree does vocally is significant. Her lyrics are obviously as forthright and memorable as when composed but you can hear them slightly more easily without the sonic competition so can appreciate the words more and she can take things a bit more slowly & in a lower register. At the most extreme case, as noted above, the perspective of the words shifts in this process.
If this EP & the subsequent gig at The Tin form your introduction to Little Girl Screaming then I think they can lead you on to more pleasures once you start exploring their extensive back catalogue (much of which is online at: https://soundcloud.com/little-girl-screaming).
I love that these songs stand up & are as powerful to my ears as when I first heard them. Again, if you are coming to the LGS party for the first time, you may hear resonances in their songs which remind you of current favourites: I think there may be linkages involved.
If you haven't got your ticket for the gig: here is the link:
https://www.ticketweb.uk/event/hot-music-live-presents-the-the-tin-at-the-coal-tickets/13870454
