Tunes Review: Girls – Broken Dreams Club

Matthew Ritchie, Staff Contributor

What is there to not love about Girls? No, I’m not talking about the far superior gender. I’m talking about the shimmering pop of Christopher Owens, chief songwriter of San Francisco recording duo, Girls.

Born into the Children of God cult in the early 1980s, Owens grew up busking on street corners around the world, playing hits by The Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly. Escaping to California when he was sixteen, after leaving his family behind, he was adopted by a wealthy businessman who became his mentor for the remainder of his youth.

With such a twisted and heartbreaking story, it isn’t a stretch to hear the influences behind Girls’ new EP, *Broken Dreams Club*. Mixing the sounds of Merle Haggard, Randy Newman and Oasis with his own insecurities about relationships and lost love, this album is a depressing smash. When Owens croons “I want piece of mind/ I’ve got such a heavy heart” over romantic slide guitar and gospel organs, you believe him more than any Elliott Smith wannabe ever could.