Album of the Week: U.S. Girls, 'Heavy Light'
March 16, 2020
Born in the Midwest and now based in Toronto, Canada, Meg Remy founded U.S. Girls and released her debut back in 2008. Since then, she has taken a rotating cast of musicians from making DIY recordings to creating lush studio albums ranging from experimental pop to new wave.
On U.S. Girl's 7th studio album, Heavy Light, Meg Remy explores combining pop music tropes with deeply personal reflections. It's a beautiful collection of songs that simultaneously lifts you up and breaks your heart. You hear the sonic and emotional juxtaposition on the lead single, "4 American Dollars" and the mid-album track, "Born To Lose." While recording the album, Remy recorded confessional moments with people passing recording the album and passing through studios. Titled, "The Most Hurtful Thing," you hear a cascade of voices recall snapshots of traumatic life moments.
The spoken word interludes on Heavy Light draw you into an aspect of the album that makes it required listening of 2020. This isn't just music, it's a collective therapy session shared between the artists and the listeners. Shaped for the times but somehow steeped in personal histories, the album feels like a release of anxiety that moves us all forward.
U.S. Girl's new album Heavy Light is out now on 4AD Records.