Open Up Your Head is the name of British band Sea Girls’ debut album. And, let me tell you, what a debut. The band had already proved to be worthy of hype with the release of their previous singles, such as ‘Damage Done’ and ‘Closer’; but they have really outdone themselves with this album.
‘Transplant’ is the opening track, and it couldn’t be more glorious: with a warm output of sounds, Sea Girls engulfs the listener with welcoming melodies and vocals, but the best part of the song comes towards the middle. Back vocals come into play alongside a catchy yet emotional guitar, accompanied by Henry Camamile’s lyrics: “whatever happened to your heart didn’t happen to mine”. After an explosion of slow drums and almost screamed, felt lyrics, the song moves towards an ending, giving space to the previously released ‘All I Want To Hear You Say’. The latter is the classic indie song: an upbeat chorus surrounded by guitars and drums and, personally, I think it is one of the best songs live.
In Open Up Your Head we find a lot of singles, as well as unreleased tracks. The most distinguished ones are certainly ‘Lie To Me’ and ‘Weight in Gold’. The former is a chiller version of their usual tunes, but with the repeating chorus and amazing vocals, it makes one of the strongest elements in the entire record. ‘Weight in Gold’, on the other hand, is a beautiful ballad. I cannot stress enough how much importance Henry’s voice has. Like most of their songs, the chorus opens up with romanticised guitars and drumming, bringing the listeners back to a time where everything was alright. And this is the most vital thing in music: its escapist power.
“We’ll never be late for life, did you say “it doesn’t matter, it’s gonna be alright?”
Frontman, Henry Camamile
‘Violet’ is the song they usually open their shows with, so it holds such a fun property, it is basically impossible to stay still during it. It perfectly reflects Sea Girls’ bubbly personalities. At the end of the day, they are just four guys who want to make music and want to make their fans dance. And you can really tell that they really have a limitless passion for their job.
‘Shake’ is another perfect example of the power they hold on the indie environment: no one is doing it like them. With sounds that are reminiscent of The Hunna and Coasts, Sea Girls insist on affirming their talent with yet another catchy tune. Open Up Your Head is such a good debut it doesn’t even sound like a debut. It sounds like an album from a band who’s already affirmed and ready to sky rocket towards fame.
After the coming-of-age ‘Damage Done’, the last two tracks lower the tone and dim the lights. ‘You Over Anyone’ in particular gives full show of Camamile’s impressive vocals, surrounded by an elegant piano and echoes. This song could easily belong to Arctic Monkeys’ latest album, and it transports the listener to another dimension. But, unfortunately, the atmosphere changes once again with the beginning of ‘Moving On’, the last track. Even if it is a good song, on its own, it would have been better as second-to-last, more than closing track. But, nevertheless, Sea Girls have proven to being able to do anything. Whatever melody comes to their mind, they put them in music, and this is not a quality that should be taken for granted.
Sea Girls have not only delivered a brilliant record, but they have also broken all doubts: they are the band of the moment. Not everyone can deliver such a steady and complete debut, but Sea Girls were able to do that and more. This won’t be the last time we hear about them: Sea Girls have a prosperous and successful future ahead of them.
