Massed behind the sweet-but-smart vocals of Kathy Patino is the full alt-pop force of Girl K. The Chicago-based four-piece make bright, catchy indie-pop that's really in a class of its own, though comparisons may spring to mind like Blake Babies, Letters to Cleo, Frente!, and Fountains of Wayne. The band's newest release, the nicely-titled Girl K Is For The People, is out this Friday.
While the title cut is part dream pop and part anthem, the rest of Girl K Is For The People bounces with the right kind of pep. "Best for You" expands the band's formula by blending Ben Folds-ish keyboards with plaintive-yet-firm vocals right off of a great Juliana Hatfield record. The track, like lots here, soars and is catchy in the way that the best American indie used to be. There's no shame in saying that Girl K make this wildly accessible, and I think that's the group's secret weapon, frankly. I mean, "Hah" is a bit harder, but "Departures" is exactly the kind of thing that Gwen Stefani would kill to be able to write. Kudos to Girl K for making such a flat-out enjoyable release.
Girl K Is For The People is out on Friday.
More details on Girl K via the band's Facebook page.
[Photo: Girl K Bandcamp]