Thursday, January 26, 2023

Girlschool - Believe (2004)

Year: 26 July 2004 (CD 2004)
Label: Communique Records (UK), CMGCD027
Style: Hard Rock, Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 52:49
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 385 Mb

Singer Kim McAuliffe and drummer Denise Dufort still form the core of Girlschool. Fresh, new blood and an update on the sound has been given by the new lead guitarist Jackie Chambers and bass player Enid Williams. Chambers, in particular, is credited on each song on Believe. Three of the songs “Come On Up,” “Crazy,” and “Never Say Never” are penned by the newcomers, and the rest are from the pens of varied combinations of Kim, Jackie, and Enid. Both of the bonus tracks are credited to the entire band and they are closest to the sound of the original Girlschool Play Around, in particular.
Believe has a total of thirteen tracks, which are all sing-along rockers that most likely will go down in a storm in a live situation. Kim McAuliffe’s raspy vocals still pack a punch and Enid is not doing a bad job herself. They both definitely rock. Kim’s vocals are more raspier while Enid’s vocal are more feminine.
Girlschool still carry the same enthusiasm they’ve always had, along with the slightly Punkish feel not far from the Ramones, but only prettied up. The only weak point in some of their songs are the shortcuts they have taken with the lyrics, or more precisely the constant repetition of choruses, which is close to overkill. “We All Love To (Rock ‘n’ Roll),” in particular, competes for the title of one of the corniest lyrics ever. This song was probably made with the Germans and drunk crowds in mind.
The opener, “Come On Up,” packs a beat that is guaranteed to get your foot tapping. “Let’s Get Hard” starts with a riff Poison could have come up with for sure. The vocals are dirty, suggestive, and even commanding at times. Jackie gets one of her many chances to display her skills on guitar. “Crazy” reeks desperation before breaking into a big airy choir part. “We All Love To (Rock’n’ Roll)” runs away with the groove before stumbling across the corny chorus. There’s still a cool continuing Punky feel underneath the song. The chorus is definitely idiot proof. “Secret” has a mysterious feel. “New Beginning” starts with an interplay between Jackie’s guitar and Denise’s drums. “C’mon” plays with a distorted vocals effect. All the songs are packed with killer choruses and grooves that will win you over if you give them half a chance. Granted, some of the songs like “C’mon” do drag on a bit, and some could have used more content lyric-wise, but still, songs like “Never Say Never” and “Come On Up” show that these Ladies still do pack a powerful slap. Besides the charm of the Girls, sound goes a long way, and the occasional downslides are easily forgiven.
(metalexpressradio.com/2004/07/26/girlschool-believe/)

01. Come On Up (03:40)
02. Lest's Get Hard (03:39)
03. Crazy (05:37)
04. We All Love To Rock n' Roll (03:22)
05. Secret (03:45)
06. New Beginning (03:32)
07. C'Mon (03:19)
08. Never Say Never (03:24)
09. You Say (03:20)
10. Feel Good (02:42)
11. Hold On Tight (03:51)
12. Yes Means Yes (02:39)
13. We All Have to Choose (03:11)
14. Play Around (03:36)
15. Passion (03:05)

Girlschool2004-Believe-02 Girlschool2004-Believe-03 Girlschool2004-Believe-04

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