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Album reviews Music

Army Girls – Close To The Bone

ARMY GIRLS celebrate the release of Close To The Bone at Double Double Land tonight (Thursday, September 15). See listing. Rating: NNNN


Whenever Carmen Elle has performed around town as a solo artist or with acts like Austra or Donlands and Mortimer, the young Toronto performer has shown a ton of talent and charisma. Finally, that raw potential has a worthy outlet in her drums-and-guitar duo Army Girls, with Andy Smith providing the backbeat to her hook-heavy minimalist rock tunes. This debut EP may only contain five songs, but it’s a deeply satisfying introduction to an act that we’re sure is going places.

The pair recorded Close To The Bone with the help of Fucked Up’s Ben Cook in one afternoon, but because of their impressive chops, the live-off-the-floor vibe comes across as slicker than albums lesser acts have slaved over for months. The simplicity of the sound allows you to fully appreciate Elle’s rich vocals and deceptively subtle guitar playing. It’s immediate and raw, with compositions melodically complex enough to make it easy to forget that essentially only four hands are playing the songs.

Top track: The Power

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