Girl Tones operate in the slipstream between radio candy and garage-rock chaos. On their debut LP Precious, sisters Kenzie Shultz and Laila Crowe assemble a masterclass in classic hooks, only to immediately set fire to the blueprint. Joined by producer Brad Shultz, the Kentucky outfit takes tunes capable of filling arenas and deliberately drowns them in a wave of nineties-style grit. The result is a tightrope walk, a record that captivates in rebellion, even as it occasionally fights against its own best assets.
Instead of smoothing down their edges, the duo leans hard into contrast. “Cherry Picker” launches the assault with a heavy coat of fuzz and an irreverent punk attitude. On “Glowing Buzz,” the atmosphere thickens into something brooding and slow, hiding a sharp pop backbone under layers of static. The tension peaks during “Blame,” where a song with clear top-40 DNA gets dismantled by jagged riffs and hostile rhythms.
Laila’s work behind the kit acts as the album’s secret weapon. Her classical training shows up in the sharp, deliberate weight of every beat, preventing the noise from dissolving into complete anarchy. That discipline powers tracks like “Stubborn Mouth,” where a sleek, danceable groove clashes directly with grinding guitars. “Volcano” shifts gears into a bright, energetic sprint, while “Again” borrows from the Pixies’ playbook, explosive and chaotic.
The title track strips away the amplifiers in favour of a quiet, piano-led tribute to their grandmother. Kenzie delivers the song with an earnest, unadorned simplicity that carries immense weight. The closing piece, “Mirror,” goes even further. Supported by a light acoustic strum, the track lays bare the duo’s undeniable gift for timeless songwriting.
The record is fiercely alive, messy, and uncompromising. Yet, there are stretches where the sheer volume smothers brilliant ideas. Girl Tones have delivered a bold, authentic debut that fiercely guards its independence.