Girl Hands - Girl Hands

Girl Hands

​Girl Hands
self-released; 2017

​3.8 out of 5

By Corrine Cassells

Girl Hands is a newly formed band based out of Bethlehem, PA. The members all met at an open mic spot and had their first self-titled EP Girl Hands recorded within six months of meeting. The overall sound ranges from soft and almost gothic sounding to full rock. The lead vocals switch off from male to female which makes the album versatile and fun to listen to. There were flashes of similarities of bands like Evanescence and even The Shins, but nothing concrete enough to pinpoint.

The album started with “Midnight Sun” and I was impressed with the overall arrangement. The song is full and broad ranging with vocals that are slightly understated but stand up against the rock guitar backing. The lyrics were pretty and poetic and hint at some real potential.  There was a guitar solo towards the end that seems disconnected and out of place but didn’t take away from the song’s appeal.

“Three Weeks” was softer and had a sad tone and surprisingly beautiful female vocals that were unexpected but appreciated. About half-way through when the instruments kicked up the vocals became a little muffled and hard to her but the lingering piano accompanied the vocals perfectly and made it my favorite track on the album.

“Low” was a gentle song matching its title with a slower tempo and melancholy vibe. There were some distortions that I wanted to like but they didn’t quite seem to mesh in the particular song. The song had a peaceful aura about it that made it easy to listen to and it fit perfectly in the progression of the album.

​“Floor” showcased Girl Hands’ songwriting capability with lyrics of self-loathing that still managed to sound pretty and captivating. Ending the album was “October” with the focus again on female vocals that worked well with the darker sounding instrumental accompaniment. The piano again was featured and is a big part of the appeal to this EP.

Girl Hands self-titled debut EP shows talent and promise. There are some technical issues that need to be worked out but I have no doubt as their sound evolves, so will their production value. The individual contributions of each musician are showcased yet no individual member seemed to “lead” which made for a very interesting sound. For this reason, each song had a slightly different aura than the one before it. I’m confident we’ll be hearing future albums and I look forward to it.

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