"As a society I feel that we perceive softness and vulnerability as traits that are ‘weak,' and people emotionally disconnect themselves in order to avoid going through everything they feel. I think what is most important right now is empathy, and in order to have empathy we must first feel what we, ourselves, feel.”
Harmony Tividad, CoS
Feminist duo Girlpool (Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad) recently released "123" as a taste of their upcoming sophomore album Powerplant, which will be released on May 12th. Drawing inspiration from Elliott Smith, the Cranberries, the Cocteau Twins, and Brian Eno, the album aims to “confront projections, despondency, apathy, romanticization, love, and heartbreak with a more devastating emotional pragmatism than before" (CoS).
"123" begins with the intimate sparseness that was seen in early tracks like "Jane", Tucker and Tividad harmonize delicately with an acoustic guitar and soft bass accompanying their voices. The drums kick in at the one minute mark, when their voices amplify and intensify - with the aid of distorted guitars - to examine the promises and failures of female friendship:
'123 will you list it off to me?How you're sorry you feel weird in a jubilation dreamAnd you're sorry about the loadFeeling sorry about the loadLooking pretty at the wallIs my mistaken love installedWhile the moth doesn't talk but in the dress the holes you sawKeep on walking back outside to see a sigh under nice light123 will you list it off to me?How you're sorry you feel weird in a jubilation dreamAnd you're sorry about the loadFeeling sorry about the load'
Lyrics: Genius
