We first encountered Nashville’s Gloom Girl MFG last fall when the indie-punk outfit caught our ear with their blend of over-the-top humor and serious subject matter together invoking their recently reformed hometown heroes, Be Your Own Pet. Following the release of the debut EP Factory which they were celebrating at the time, the quartet is already back with another release titled Polycrisis which expands upon their polished-yet-raucous, upbeat-yet-often-unhinged sound, incorporating the influences of new wave and other more guitar-centric countercultural genre influences such as post-punk and riot grrrl.
In fact gender is frequently the focal point of these six new tracks, as vocalist Paige MacKinnon confronts it-girlism on opener “Bougie Girl” and dramatizes the local turf wars taking place in Nashville on the scathing “Batshitlorette.” Less explicitly, MacKinnon channels some of the moment’s most groundbreaking voices across the new EP, expertly replicating the powerful vocals of Sheer Mag’s Tina Halladay on “Damaged” before switching gears and exploring range on the ensuing “Batshitlorette,” which sees the vocalist nailing talk-rock grooves before the song’s explosive back half.
With the EP—which was produced by Cage the Elephant’s Brad Schultz—officially out tomorrow, we have an early stream of Polycrisis below, accompanied by a track-by-track breakdown of the release.
1. “Bougie Girl”
“Bougie Girl” is a clear manifestation of the girl of our nightmares. She doesn’t care about anyone. From the band’s perspective, she might as well be an alien; yet you cannot deny her power. Created to be a social takedown of the direction of pop culture, the rich and famous, and the unkind, “Bougie Girl” has emerged as the first track on Polycrisis to be an inspiring anthem. Be proud to stand out from the crowd and love yourself—no matter the cringe.
2. “Crimes”
“Crimes” is a glimpse into the intricacies of playing the blame game. At times, we can find ourselves projecting our innermost traumas onto the people we love most. It’s hard to be held accountable—and harder still to not let the world affect the way we love. The lyrics at first pass might seem to give up on the idea of love itself, but the energy and charisma of the music say something completely different.
3. “Damaged”
“Damaged”—birthed from death. From which we’ve no choice but to move forward, often damaged, then healed, then damaged again. The ultimate Polycrisis wrapped up in the ultimate Gloom Girl MFG ballad; let us reintroduce ourselves.
4. “Batshitlorette”
“Batshitlorette” is a dogfight. Picture the Greasers vs. the Socs, except make it the Nashville Locals vs. the Bachelorettes. In this song, we’re at play with the idea of local insularity in contrast with bachelorette party mayhem here in Tennessee. It’s a song that’s both dead serious and absolutely absurd, all wrapped up in an epic punk package. On brand with the EP, we can’t help but expand our grief and frustration beyond our city walls and turn it into a bigger declaration: Ignore the future of our youth, and you will pay the consequences.
5. “Firing Line”
Another ballad to diverge Gloom Girl MFG from whatever you thought we were or could be, “Firing Line” is a song to define the trajectory of our music. Don’t guess, because you’ll miss. This band often tells our best stories from the inside. This ballad is a tragic yet soft landing to a better place. Not all loves can last forever...for the one that’s meant to be will take its place.
6. “I Love You”
Ask your friends if they’ve heard “I Love You,” because that’s just about the entire purpose of this song—to trick you into telling friends, colleagues, strangers, and family members that you love them. Catch them off guard, look them in the eye, forget what you’re saying until you can’t take it back. “I Love You” is the perfect bookend to any Polycrisis—and perhaps also the reason that we keep trying to fix things. Or perhaps it’s also the disguise people use to hide behind mistakes, hate, and wrongdoing. Maybe “I Love You” is the excuse we use when we ask for forgiveness, or the hug we give with words when we’re apart. Maybe “I Love You” is the question we form as a statement hoping for validation. Maybe. “I Love You.”
