I have spent several months purchasing all of Wendy & Lisa’s albums in my quest to earn my musical Ph.D. in their solo work. The Girl Bros. LP is the last album I needed to complete my thesis and graduate from the University of Wendy & Lisa. Now, allow me to present my thesis defense and obtain my doctorate.

Based on what I heard and read online, I knew that the Girl Bros. LP – originally released in 1998 and re-released (digital only) in 2009 – is a more somber sounding album from Wendy & Lisa than previous releases. I have read that the album was part tribute to Wendy’s late brother, Jonathan Melvoin, (touring keyboardist for The Smashing Pumpkins) and was made during the breakup of Wendy & Lisa’s romantic relationship. As a result, I knew that Girl Bros. would be the opposite of Fruit at the Bottom – a fun, exuberant album that often makes me smile when listening to it. However, the somber sounds and lyrics on Girl Bros. are not something that made me long for previous Wendy & Lisa-sounding albums. In fact, I find Girl Bros. the most interesting because it is a clear turning point in their musical careers. Where Eroica started shifting Wendy & Lisa’s sound from their previous two albums, Girl Bros. took an exit off the freeway into a new yet pleasing direction.

Girl Bros. has an overall alternative rock tone, which is a departure from the pop, funk, and R&B sounds attributed to Wendy & Lisa’s earlier music. There is a definite mellow feel to Girl Bros. – one similar to White Flags of Winter Chimneys, Wendy & Lisa’s newest release. However, fans will find some shades of familiarity in Girl Bros. established with the Eroica LP. Keeping the history of Girl Bros. in mind, I found myself listening a lot more carefully to the lyrics and identifying the emotions Wendy & Lisa were conveying during that time. The songs “All I Wonder/Anyway,” “Love & Trouble,” “Bring You Back,” and “Jonathan” are particularly expressive and touching songs that tug at you. While the album is filled primarily with slow and mid-tempo songs, “If I Were Brave” and “All Nite” are examples of songs that kick things into high gear. There are also a couple of lighthearted moments are on the album, which I did not expect. “I’ve Got a Big Bowl of Cherries” and “Worth Your Weight in Cold” are songs that always lighten my spirits upon hearing them, and involuntarily smiles are quite common.

Like White Flags of Winter Chimneys, Girl Bros. is an album that I have a tendency to listen straight through with no fast-forwarding…unless I am stuck in a musical vortex of awesomeness where I am rewinding instead. However, that musical vortex is by no means something I desire to escape when listening to standout tracks like “All I Wonder/Anyway,” “I’ve Got No Strings,” “Reaching One,” “I Will,” and the very spectacular rock opus “Uh-Uh, Don’t Look Down.”

White Flags of Winter Chimneys is my favorite Wendy & Lisa album, but Girl Bros. is a very close second. Musically, there is so much to listen to and digest as a music lover. Girl Bros. is an album where Wendy & Lisa truly stretch themselves outside of familiar musical territory, something I definitely find extremely satisfying as a music lover. Some artists stay in their musical comfort zone, but no one can accuse Wendy & Lisa of that with Girl Bros. They did not just dip their toes into the waters of alternative rock. They leapt into “Rainbow Lake” with both feet and did not sink like some artists when shifting gears in a different musical direction. Girl Bros. proves Wendy & Lisa are not confined by musical boundaries, and they create truly great music in different genres. As usual, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman shine, shine, shine with their musical, singing, and lyrical prowess (aka genius). Girl Bros. was Wendy & Lisa’s “Chance to Grow” and grow, they did. I dare you to find anything less than total and complete “Satisfaction” with Girl Bros.

As I mentioned previously, you can purchase the album from digital retailers Amazon and iTunes, but I suggest buying it directly from Wendy & Lisa’s official site for these bonus tracks:

• “All I Wonder/Anyway (Original Home Demo)”
• “If I Were Brave (Original Home Demo)”
• “I’ve Got a Big Bowl of Cherries (Original Home Demo)”
• “Madmen Swim Upstream (Home Demo Unreleased Out Take)”
• “Vengeance of a Nerd (Home Demo)”

Thank you for allowing me to present my dissertation. I am now a proud graduate from the University of Wendy & Lisa, class of 2009. If you are an incoming freshmen, catch up and join the rest of us Ph.D. recipients. Buy Girl Bros. today!

Previous coverage:

• Music Review: Wendy & Lisa’s White Flags of Winter Chimneys
• 5 Reasons Why I Love Wendy & Lisa

Tags: girl bros, music, wendy and lisa, white flags of winter chimneys

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 at 7:11 pm and is filed under Commentary, Life, Play, Reviews. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.