Girl Scout, Hare and Hounds, 6th February 2025
The first thing that strikes me about the audience tonight, is the average age of the people coming to see Girl Scout, who as you no doubt know, are a Swedish quartet of twenty-somethings. The crowd here at the Hare and Hounds is made up of mainly men, like me in their 50’s; some younger men; and a handful of women. I still can’t quite work out why Girl Scout are not appealing to their own peers… is it that the youth of today are not as tuned in to good music as us old fellas? Or are Girl Scout not targeting the places young people hang out virtually these days? Or is their style of jazz-inspired indie rock/pop just not as popular as RnB pop? And if that is the case, why the hell isn’t it? What is wrong with the kids of today? It is interesting though because two years ago I reviewed The Backseat Lovers and that gig was full of young people. So what are Girl Scout not doing?
The thing Girl Scout are doing however, is writing and performing with a skill and intensity that makes my brain fizz. Tonight they practically recreate the gig I attended last May Part of me wishes to have seen some new songs of which there is only one, off the current Headache EP. They have opted for a tighter set and removed all their mellower tracks (like the beautiful ‘Headache’, ‘Millionaire’ and ‘Attenborough Beach’ (soon to be renamed Beachy McBeachface perhaps)) and maybe this is to ensure the energy is kept at a high level throughout the short 12 song set. The only slight change in tempo is the beautiful ‘Bruises,’ which is introduced with a sly wink as a power ballad, but I think this is doing the song a great disservice. ‘Bruises’ is an absolute anthem. I must admit I originally thought it was a love song until I read an interview with the band in which guitarist Viktor Spasov explains what it is about: “‘Bruises’ is a song about reaching a certain age where you realise that the grown-ups and people around you aren’t really grown-ups but just kids stuck in older bodies. It’s a song about trying to understand and forgive the wrongdoings or faults that people close to you may have.” That made the track so much more powerful, but I still think the chorus lyrics should be: “I can see right through you” instead of “I can heal your bruises” (as Emma said tonight ‘You can have that thought for free’). I do miss the beautiful harmony vocal provided by Evelina though (what happened there?) but the boys in the band try and make up as best they can.
My favourite songs tonight are the ones highlighting the band’s knack for writing wry lyrics with a very dry sense of humour. The set opener ‘Desert Island Movies’ for instance (which is the one song not played at the May gig), is about hanging around with tedious people who suck the joy from the air trying to appear cool and sophisticated while namedropping Ingmar Bergman films. The chorus is something I sing to myself often: “I think I need funnier friends” it really cheers me up. Also ‘All the Time and Everywhere’ with its desire to do better and ‘Run Me Over’: “I’m feeling like I’m tired all the time” could be about most of the audience, however, the chorus “So can you run me over with your car? I wanna be a road that leads far, far away from here” – is beautifully written although I am still unsure whether it’s about wanting to be literally ran over and killed, or being given a lift somewhere – does anyone know?
‘Mothers & Fathers’ is a powerfully deep song about divorce that reminds me of Steely Dan, possibly because of the repeated phrase in the chorus ‘you do it again’. But lyrics like “And you don’t even recognise yourself. When you meet someone you turn into someone else” is pure Donald Fagan.
Emma comfortably talks to the crowd between songs, happy to be back in our city again and asking about the origins of the word Brum and the city’s love of bricks, as apparently, they are everywhere in Birmingham. I wasn’t sure this was a thing specific to Birmingham, maybe in Sweden they use more glass and wood. Emma is funny and charming leaving the audience enthralled.
The final question of the night from Emma introduces the last song as she asks: “Do You Remember Sally Moore?” Considering this is a song about having a crush on a girl from high school, most of the blokes here are struggling to remember that long ago… I can barely remember where I parked the car when I arrived in Kings Heath.
The musicianship of the band is exemplary: Per Lindberg’s drum fills are lightening fast and tasteful in equal measure. Viktor Spasov has changed his guitar from a Jazzmaster to a Tele and he sounds sharper than ever (I doubt he read my Sunflower Lounge review, but someone must have passed on my advice for him to stop hogging the limelight from Emma). Kevin Hamring’s choice of bass notes to play to compliment the melody is so considered and thoughtful, supporting the rhythm section and song completely. Emma Janssen is a powerhouse lead singer, although sometimes she will give up singing the end of a line to scream it instead, which I guess can be put down to sheer enthusiasm rather than running out of air. She is a gutsy performer, with confidence and swagger that reminds me Debbie Harry when Blondie was still punk.
It is very satisfying when you find songwriters like Girl Scout, who are so deft at fitting a great lyric into a perfect melody. It comes together so faultlessly and precisely that you cannot see the join. Like master builders, these building blocks connect seamlessly, effortlessly. And I’m not just talking about the choice of subject matter (which is always interesting), not just the actual words used, but the phrasing of the sounds within the words, the rhythm of the way they are sang. Everything here is perfectly in place. Sweden has a long history of great writers and Girl Scout can sit proudly among them, just remember to let your kids know.
Setlist:
Desert Island Movies
Honey
Monster
All the Time and Everywhere
Run Me Over
Bruises
Mothers & Fathers
Boy In Blue
Weirdo
I’m So Sorry
I Just Needed You to Know
Do You Remember Sally Moore?
Review and photos: Alan Neilson
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