Try to capture, for a brief moment, what your best idea of the ‘Manchester sound’ is. Now cast those impressions of Ian Brown and the Gallagher brothers aside, because Girl Friend are here, and they’ve added yet another flavour to the prestigious Mancuinian music scene. Described as evoking the many sounds of the ’80s with a few tips from modern dance-pop on the side, the four-piece have recently brought out their new EP Arrive Alone, Leave Alone. Having praise showered on them by the likes of The Guardian even before its release, it’s more than fair to say that there’s been mounting interest in this group from public and critic alike.
Synth has been once again in vogue in the first half of this decade, and from first impressions, Girl Friend seem to know this more than most. The opener ‘Monte Carlo’ is a fun, jumpy three-and-a-half-minute ride that does much to evoke images of idyllic, sunny Monaco. “I don’t wanna dance” announces the chorus, a claim that’s hard to believe when placed over such a catchy beat, and the overall song concept – an exotic break with a significant other – is pulled off rather well.
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The second track here (‘You Lead The Way’) is a little more on the experimental side, with guitar strings and light chiptune thrown in with the rugged synth . What’s particularly noticeable, too, is just how fresh it sounds. Synthpop may a rather mature genre itself now, but songs like this one don’t feel like they have been pulled out of a 1980s timewarp at all. ‘Style and Substance’ is third up, and it’s a little harsher instrumentally than some of the others found here. Infused with a rough-and-ready synthesiser sound, the lyrics generally follow a dark theme of self-doubt, dependence and a want for validation in life.
The EP’s rounded off with something of a groovy vibe in the aptly named ‘Stop’. It’s quite a fitting end, showing confident musical ability, and after listening you’d certainly be surprised that the band have only been going since last year. As all good ending songs do, it also leaves a lasting impression. It’s unabashedly pop; but by the same measure, it’s intelligent pop, and by no means middle-of-the-road.
What’s found on Arrive Alone, Leave Alone has definitely got the sound, the style, and the energy to take this young group to higher places – and it’ll be no shock at all if everyone is besotted with the charms of Girl Friend soon.
Tickets can be bought from See Tickets for Girl Friend’s current UK tour.
Words by Benedict