The single’s cover art is a photo of the Hollywood sign, you know the one, with palm trees in the foreground and ‘denim jacket’ to bottom left underscored by the year (I assume), 1955. But if you’re looking for something that harks back to the g(l)ory days of LA LA Land, don’t press play on this new single from girl shaped gun, because what they’ve gone and done here is fresher than tomorrow and about as beautiful and naïve as the perfect pop song will always aspire to be.
‘denim jacket’ isn’t quite the perfect pop song, but it’s got all the required ingredients and just enough of a foot in the mainstream/foot in the alt to make girl shaped gun ones to watch.
Drawing on the two-notes-is-all-it-takes-to-create-a-hook school of thought, ‘denim jacket’ lifts off like a rocket after the first scratchy chords and then drives home its point for the duration without ever overstaying its welcome. Opening with Sean Moring’s vocals, which have a beautifully awkward quality — something akin to Caleb Followill in the early days of KOL when they were cranking out the good stuff and he didn’t care about being understood — ‘denim jacket’ encapsulates an entire relationship in its just-over-four minutes of existence.
By the time Moring hands over vocal duties to Eliza Hodder we find ourselves in the middle of a point and counterpoint for the ages; same themes, different tune. They sing to each other. They sing at each other. They harmonise, but they never intrude on each other’s patch. Maybe they’re still in love? Who knows?
‘denim jacket’ isn’t quite the perfect pop song, but it’s got all the required ingredients and just enough of a foot in the mainstream/foot in the alt to make girl shaped gun ones to watch. On its own, ‘denim jacket’ should be a staple on indie radio this summer. It may even trouble the likes of those who keep the gates at Triple J’s Home and Hosed. It should also see girl shaped gun packing venues wherever they play. And, if there is justice in this wonderfully perverse business we call the music industry, it should be a portent of even better things to come. If they stick at it for another 10 or so years, who knows, girl shaped gun may even achieve pop perfection and that dream of every louche young musician, overnight success.
********
