Bless This Mess

U.S. Girls

Released on 24/02/2023 by 4AD
Main artists: U.S. Girls
Genre: Alternative & Indie

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The threads of disco and funk that fused with conceptual art rock on previous U.S. Girls songs move into the spotlight on Bless This Mess, the eighth studio album from the ever-morphing project led by mastermind Meg Remy. Remy's output as U.S. Girls has never settled in one stylistic direction, and moments of her wonderful 2020 effort Heavy Light found her leading a large cast of backup vocalists through relaxed and danceable disco-soul tunes, among various other approaches. Bless This Mess amplifies the danceability factor, beginning with the simmering groove of "Only Daedalus," a sleek assemblage of '80s synths, airtight rhythms, and powerful vocals delivering lyrics that envision figures of Greek mythology in a late-night lover's argument outside of the club. "So Typically Now" is similar, with stomping but skeletal rhythms and infectious synth lines that crisscross tough vocal melodies while backing vocalists belt out performances that recall the best early house tracks. Remy's ability to adapt her distinctive songwriting voice to whatever style she chooses remains one of her main strengths on Bless This Mess, with glittery disco-pop burners like "Tux (Your Body Fills Me, Boo)" sitting nicely alongside the acoustic guitars and airy textures of "St. James Way" or the cinematic balladry of the title track. No U.S. Girls album is limited to mere musical presentation, however, and the conceptualism that's touched all of Remy's discography continues here. Bless This Mess was written and recorded at the same time Remy was pregnant with and eventually gave birth to twins, so themes of motherhood are intrinsic to the album. The most explicit example of this is closing track "Pump," where a sample of a breast pump joins a fluid funk bass to build up the backing rhythm while the lyrics center on the intensity of delivering babies and keeping them fed once they're born. Elsewhere, "Screen Face" depicts a remote digital date over a bubbly soft rock instrumental and "Futures Bet" quotes the National Anthem on a very heavy metal guitar before evolving into a complex patchwork of catchy sounds and lyrics about accepting the fact that life invariably presents many unanswerable questions. Bless This Mess is another chapter of U.S. Girls' consistent evolution marked by pristine production and a deft balance of hooks and soul-baring beauty, with Remy pulling off the feat of intertwining some of her most emotionally complex material with what might be her most accessible sounds yet.

© Fred Thomas /TiVo

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Bless This Mess

U.S. Girls

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Only Daedalus