Girls are duo Christopher Owens and Chet “JR” White.  At this point, Owens, lead singer and main songwriter, is something of an indie rock legend: he escaped a strange and warped upbringing in the Children of God cult, fled Slovenia at age 16, went on to shack up with the prolific and eccentric artist Stanley Marsh 3 in Amarillo, Texas, and finally formed a critically acclaimed indie rock band out of San Francisco.

Owens is a fabulous songwriter, and the true power of his words, delivered in his Costello-like falsetto, really come through on Father, Son, Holy Ghost. Trading in the sounds of 50′s, 60′s, and 70′s rock’n'roll and singer-songwriters (Buddy Holly, Paul Simon, the Everly Brothers, Randy Newman, and more), Owens sprinkles on a touch of gospel and the occasional pinch of grunge. The concoction is a uniquely modern spin on a plethora of retro-infatuations. This record is impeccably produced, emotionally-packed, sincere, beautiful, multi-faceted, but all in an understated and casual sort of way.

Simply put, you need this album.

STREAM: Girls – “Honey Bunny”