Another of my four favorite artists of all time, my friend's uncle is actually in West Indian Girl (he's at the top in the middle), and when I found out I made such an uncharacteristic squeal that I had to clap my hands over my mouth. I mean, I am just not the squealing type.
West Indian Girl is tripped-out dream pop, with lovely, luscious walls of sound and druggy lyrics, often resulting in psychedelic poetry. I mean, come on; they're named after an infamous strain of acid. They're also 100% Californian.
So without further ado...the Best of West Indian Girl
From their debut album West Indian Girl:
Trip- Immediately we're introduced to the psychedelic quality of their lyrics: "Alone on a hill in the summer time/You could dial your mind...it's so hard to leave, waiting for the World to kiss the sky." Trip opens with an echoing harmonica line, and by the time the synth comes in, you know you're in for a really slow, relaxing trip. It's exactly what the song (and most of the album) induces; it's lazy and slow, and tries to capture those timeless summer days when no one seems to care about anything, but everyone feels good.
Hollywood-This is as close to social commentary as West Indian Girl gets, saying "In Hollywood, your fears come out to play," but Hollywood is also painted as a magical playground where anything can happen. The tight little harmonies and soaring backup vocals, done by the lovely Mariqueen, only add layering to the teeming, sumptuous wall of sound. This song is, perhaps, more trippy than "Trip"
Dream-possibly the most kaleidoscopic of their songs; wonderfully introspective and poetic, "Dream" is exactly what the title describes. Again, it's laid back, but there's actual meat in the song unlike the equally mellow "Hollywood":
But still you're asking why
love is
across the frozen lake
across the frozen lake
that always seems to break
when you walk to the other side
What Are You Afraid Of?-I saved my favorite for last. I can't explain my love for this song; it's absolutely gorgeous. It opens with acoustic guitars layered with piercing siren-like echoes which, of course, never fail to remind me of the seashore. The chorus is calm, but still manages to pack a punch with hard-hitting guitar chords. But I never fully appreciated the song until I listened to what the chorus says:
What are you afraid of?
when all the years fade away
What are you made of?
from the ties that hold us down
What are you fighting for?
to feel them all
What are you dying for?
to be free.
Also, don't miss the end when Mariqueen really let's it rip on the vocals and Robert James shows off his guitar skills.
From their sophomore album 4th & Wall:
To Die in L.A.-the sounds on 4th & Wall are a lot more solid and less vague and filmy the sounds on West Indian Girl are. The beat starts slow on this song, but then the guitar chords kick in for the chorus, roaring sirens appear, and more crazy synth makes alien abduction noises. The vocals are a bit harsher than on the previous album; a strength of West Indian Girl is their balance in male and female singers, something rare now-a-days.
One thing that does remain consistent: the lyrical content. It neither diminishes, nor surpasses the quality of West Indian Girl.
Sofia- I love this song. Firstly, it has some of the best lyrics EVER. It just reminds me of a snowy night where all the little houses look so warm and glow faintly, but you're on the outside looking in. A little lost, but not necessarily sad.
From their sophomore album 4th & Wall:
To Die in L.A.-the sounds on 4th & Wall are a lot more solid and less vague and filmy the sounds on West Indian Girl are. The beat starts slow on this song, but then the guitar chords kick in for the chorus, roaring sirens appear, and more crazy synth makes alien abduction noises. The vocals are a bit harsher than on the previous album; a strength of West Indian Girl is their balance in male and female singers, something rare now-a-days.
One thing that does remain consistent: the lyrical content. It neither diminishes, nor surpasses the quality of West Indian Girl.
Sofia- I love this song. Firstly, it has some of the best lyrics EVER. It just reminds me of a snowy night where all the little houses look so warm and glow faintly, but you're on the outside looking in. A little lost, but not necessarily sad.
If I leave and never return
light a candle and let it burn
cause light transcends time
If you see a light just off the road
a line of footsteps in the snow
don't stop; you're almost home
knock three times and ring the bell
you'll hear a voice you knew so well
it takes you from the cold.
light a candle and let it burn
cause light transcends time
If you see a light just off the road
a line of footsteps in the snow
don't stop; you're almost home
knock three times and ring the bell
you'll hear a voice you knew so well
it takes you from the cold.
This song is absolutely brilliant; the violins and piano at the beginning seem caught between playful and melancholy. Honestly, I've always tried to think of who Sofia could be, and funnily enough I end up thinking of that cute dog that's on the cover of 4th & Wall even though Robert James specifically says "she." Probably because Mariqueen's voice is so coaxing when she tells Sofia to "come home."
Indian Ocean- another of my favorites, this hearkens back to the easy, floating listening of their first album. The singing is pretty non-focused and lushly layered until Mariqueen jumps in with the solid line "How does it feel?" and the true lyrics start. The synth pulses gently in the background for much of the song to create a feeling of disconnectedness, of being spacially confused. Of course, the fare isn't all that light. It's partially about suicide.
Indian Ocean- another of my favorites, this hearkens back to the easy, floating listening of their first album. The singing is pretty non-focused and lushly layered until Mariqueen jumps in with the solid line "How does it feel?" and the true lyrics start. The synth pulses gently in the background for much of the song to create a feeling of disconnectedness, of being spacially confused. Of course, the fare isn't all that light. It's partially about suicide.
My left foot's on a stone
Your toe's in the sand
I wonder if we'll make it
this time I'll never wake up
Your toe's in the sand
I wonder if we'll make it
this time I'll never wake up
I always picture them standing on the edge of a cliff, about to jump (even though James says "window ledge" a couple of times). They even jointly say that this is their "last chance to make it right"...it's quite a dark message for such a relaxed atmosphere.
Up the Coast-if I wanted to introduce the band to anyone who'd never heard of them, I might very well use "Up the Coast"; it starts out slowly with some nice steel drums other types of African drumming. Then the chorus starts up, the horns kick up, the girls sing it out, and the song, while not completely free of the melancholy which tinges every West Indian Girl composition, is upbeat and lively.
Solar Eyes-well, if you are going to do drugs, you might as well have a good soundtrack, right? This is your song. It's 8 minutes long, and has an addicting melody that's almost entirely electronic. The chorus is a pleasant acoustic guitar with an underplayed pulsing base. This is truly the music to get lost in. Towards the end, it seeps into minor territory and kind of flirts with becoming truly evil and menacing, but manages to walk the fine line well until the end of the song, which comes rather abruptly.
Back to You-then, if you're the slow ballady type, "Back to You" is as close as they're going to come. It's slow and pretty and pensive, filled with Mariqueen's usual oohing, and actually quite polished-sounding.
They've been compared to Jane's Addiction (and I can hear it, too), and it comes out on tracks like Northern Sky, and the more melancholy Miles from Monterey, both of which I'd also recommend.
Part of the success of West Indian Girl also comes from their image. Their logo is slick (see it on their website) and the designs of their website, T-shirts, and CD covers show that they're obviously not just talented musicians. They also have remix CD's out for each of their albums, which are much heavier on the electronic/dance end of their spectrum-but they are obviously not limited by genre or creativity.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
-elln
Up the Coast-if I wanted to introduce the band to anyone who'd never heard of them, I might very well use "Up the Coast"; it starts out slowly with some nice steel drums other types of African drumming. Then the chorus starts up, the horns kick up, the girls sing it out, and the song, while not completely free of the melancholy which tinges every West Indian Girl composition, is upbeat and lively.
Solar Eyes-well, if you are going to do drugs, you might as well have a good soundtrack, right? This is your song. It's 8 minutes long, and has an addicting melody that's almost entirely electronic. The chorus is a pleasant acoustic guitar with an underplayed pulsing base. This is truly the music to get lost in. Towards the end, it seeps into minor territory and kind of flirts with becoming truly evil and menacing, but manages to walk the fine line well until the end of the song, which comes rather abruptly.
Back to You-then, if you're the slow ballady type, "Back to You" is as close as they're going to come. It's slow and pretty and pensive, filled with Mariqueen's usual oohing, and actually quite polished-sounding.
They've been compared to Jane's Addiction (and I can hear it, too), and it comes out on tracks like Northern Sky, and the more melancholy Miles from Monterey, both of which I'd also recommend.
Part of the success of West Indian Girl also comes from their image. Their logo is slick (see it on their website) and the designs of their website, T-shirts, and CD covers show that they're obviously not just talented musicians. They also have remix CD's out for each of their albums, which are much heavier on the electronic/dance end of their spectrum-but they are obviously not limited by genre or creativity.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
-elln
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