Some Girls All My Friends Are Going Death

Some Girls are something of an enigma. Not only is the band comprised of members of some very well known bands (The Locust, Give Up The Ghost), they have a tendency to remain sort of hidden within the music scene. And now, after two short releases on Deathwish, we get “All My Friends Are Going Death,” an LP that looks and sounds more like a discography than a proper full-length. Furthermore, the material here spans a period of three years (starting in 2001) making it a little difficult to call this a “brand-new release,” in the traditional sense of the phrase. Regardless of the odd nature of Some Girls, “All My Friends Are Going Death” provides a nice, clear insight to the evolving nature of the band. While they’ve always been equally screamy as they have been thrashy and hardcore, one can follow the progression of Some Girls quite readily on this release. The first three tracks, for starters, are all new. While more similar to “The Blues” 7” in style, the songs are much more captivating and innovative than said EP. Following these tracks is a remastered version of the “The Rains.” I can’t say much about how this sounds since I only have this 7” on tape and it sounds pretty crackly (as most record to tape transfers are), but if you're missing this material, it’s here in full. Next in line is the remastered “The Blues.” I hadn’t heard this stuff until now, and while it doesn’t hold up to the new material (or “The Rains” for that matter), it’s by no means lousy. “Aligula” and “Pale Pink Vodka” easily steal the show here. Following “The Blues” is a favorable rendition of The Stooges’ “No Fun.” Gotta have some classic stuff thrown in for good measure, I guess. And as if all that material wasn’t enough, the demo recordings from “The Rains” are on here. Only a few select tracks, but they’re recorded well enough, and I’ve found that at least one of these demo tracks (“Up To Our Hips’) sounds better arranged than the one put on the 7”. Aside from the “more bang for your buck” aspects of this album, I have to say that the artwork, as strange as it is, fits the feel of this CD fairly well. Yeah, it’s just a lot of pink and white photos, but it does the trick. And, if anything, Wes’ (GUTG) vocals and lyrics make this CD alone worth looking into (e.g. “They say if you love something, set it free / Well, I love my life and I’m getting rid of me"). Bottom Line: If you’ve held off on buying any Some Girls stuff for any reason other than “I don’t like them,” it’s probably time to invest some money into getting “All My Friends Are Going Death.” Everything they’ve put out to date is on here and better yet, it’s in CD form for those without a turntable. It’s a little too artsy at times, but the music is well worth it overall.