Birmingham’s garage 4-piece Cave Girl have gained significant traction over the past three years, dazzling crowds with their raucous live shows and racking up impressive support slots to become somewhat illustrious royalty within Brum’s music scene. Following two single releases way back in 2018, the glam rockers release their long-awaited debut EP ‘Leisure Broadcast’.
The four-track record does not disappoint: brimming with all the seductive lo-fi grittiness you could wish for; the sonics possess a raw quality, but sound in no way unprofessional.
Oozing with attitude from the get-go, moody opener ‘Greasy Bastard’ is a charismatic blend of brazen vocals, distortion-saturated guitars and primal drumbeats; writhing in layers of sound. Cave Girl never take themselves too seriously, so it’s not especially surprising that the title subtly alludes to the topic of the song: a fried breakfast.
‘Venus’ pairs immaculately jangly guitar riffs with a dynamic post-punk twang, adding a modern twist to the retro garage vibe. Melodic breakdowns and authoritative basslines keep you captivated throughout as the track turbulently twists and turns.
A cleanly plucked intro adds a mystical element to the surf-drenched, reverb-laden ‘The Duffer’ as it swells with anthemic distortion and fuzz to unleash a barrage of spaced out rock ‘n’ roll, cascading with drawling guitars.
Drawing the record to a close, ‘Lingerer’ invites wonky tones as the band authoritatively build layers of minimalist riffs, pounding drums and shimmering guitars to reach a climactic peak then slowing the track right down and bringing it to a resonant end.
Audibly throbbing throughout, Cave Girl successfully translate their eccentric stage presence into their music, channelling elements of industrial glam with roots firmly planted in evocative garage rock. Coming to us in a time of great ambivalence, ‘Leisure Broadcast’ allows you to inject a short but sweet 14-minutes of garage fuelled rock ‘n’ roll into your day.
Word: Laura Phillips
Pic: Maddie Cottam-Allan
