Review: Sea Girls Justify the Hype with Debut Album Open up Your Head

: by Joe Sharratt; in Reviews; on 24 August 2020

London four-piece Sea Girls have been one of the hottest upcoming names in indie circles for what feels like years now. With a string of four EPs in the last three years, a host of singles under their belt, a reputation for high energy live shows and a nomination for the BBC Sound Of 2019 poll, they’re a band with all the components in place to take the world by storm.

Comprised of Henry Camamile (vocals, guitar), Rory Young (lead guitar), Andrew Noswad (bass), and Oli Khan (drums), the group specialise in singalong indie floor fillers. But there’s an undercurrent of post-teenage introspection that comes through in Camamile’s delicate voice and honest lyrics too. Tellingly, he sometimes deals with difficult subject matter here, including his own struggles with mental health issues triggered by an accident in a pub.

Open Up Your Head brings together many of the tracks that appeared on those EPs. First released in 2018, All I Want To Hear You Say mixes a high-octane chorus with delicate breakdowns, while Lie To Me fuses acoustic guitars with thumping drums with joyous results. Closer is built around an infectious guitar hook, while Forever lowers the tempo before exploding into a triumphant climax.

Weight In Gold makes a claim for the best song here, with a superb chorus that probably makes the best use of Camamile’s voice and a delicate piano refrain playing off a raucous mix of drums and guitars. Violet is another thumper built for indie club dancefloors, while Damage Done is another old track that gets included, and a strong example of Sea Girls’ lyrical strength as Camamile sings: “You're not the inspiration / You're not the reason for this song / If you want an explanation / The damage is done”.

Sea Girls aren’t breaking any boundaries with Open Up Your Head, but they are showing themselves as smart songwriters up there with the best of the current indie world.

Open Up Your Head tracklist:

1. Transplant

2. All I Want To Hear You Say

3. Do You Really Wanna Know?

4. Lie To Me

5. Call Me Out

6. Closer

7. Forever

8. Weight In Gold

9. Ready For More

10. Violet

11. Shake