The Micragirls – Wild Girl Walk

Before the needle hits the record there are always a few tell-tale signs of what lies in wait on that circle of wax / shiny metal / download. When it comes to Micragirls’ second LP, Wild Girl Walk, these indicators are two-fold. The first comes from the artwork: three girls ”“ looking like something from a horror-show version of the Powerpuff Girls ”“ strut through a forest in high heels. Second from a cursory glance at the track listing: only five of the twelve tracks on offer break the 2 minute 30 seconds mark, with four not even managing 120 seconds. So, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it stuff then!Helsinki’s Micragirls’ sound is raw, primitive and ramshackle; an assault of Adams Family one finger keyboard lines, thrashed drums and razor-cut guitar steeped in 60s nostalgia. Carefully executed dynamics, weaving guitar lines and poured over production are nowhere to be seen. Where most would have their drummer count the band in with a “1-2-3-4”¦” you get the impression that Micragirls are probably more in favour of an “On your marks. Get set. GO!!” approach. Whoever gets to the end first, wins.Helping you recover from the barrage of speedy noise ”“ the Jon Spencer-featuring ‘Out of Tune’, the Wipeout-riffing ‘Hit-and-Miss!’, and aptly-titled ‘Girl Go Crazy’ to name but a few ”“ Wild Girl Walk offers up a couple of tempered moments which help to make the album more palatable. ‘Summer’s Gone’ and ‘Story of Two’ drop the tempo and the fuzz for a three-minute jangle that is probably as close as Micragirls come to a ballad. Fusing the two sides together is album highlight, ‘Electric Chair Twist’. Thick distortion trudges under an infectious keyboard line as sound effects and lyrics become one: “Electric chair twizzzzzzzzt” and then, of course, all hell breaks loose.With psychedelic keyboard lines, fuzz guitars and more enthusiasm than a kid at Christmas, it’s hard not to get wrapped up in Micragirls’ world. It may not be the most groundbreaking album you’ll hear this year, but that’s not always the point, is it.

Buy the album on Amazon | [itunes link="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/the-micragirls/id209240416?uo=4" title="The_Micragirls" text="iTunes"]