Our Girl – The Good Kind

Label: Bella Union
Released: 8th November 2024

Our Girl’s ‘The Good Kind’ is a follow-up album to a record that feels like it arrived in a different world. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. The Brighton trio’s six-year hiatus since their pre-The-Happening 2018 debut has yielded a record that’s as comforting as it is introspective.

From the outset, it’s clear that Our Girl have honed their craft. While their trademark dynamics remain, the trio have expanded too. The production – helmed by the legendary John Parish alongside Soph Nathan’s The Big Moon bandmate Fern Ford – brings a warmth and depth that expands on their earlier work. 

Here layered guitars create a lush, reverb-heavy soundscape that envelops the listener. Lyrically, Nathan doesn’t shy away from personal topics, with a tenderness that’s both deeply personal and relatable. It’s this willingness to bare her soul that gives ‘The Good Kind’ its emotional heft.

The album’s collaborative spirit shines through, with guest appearances from the likes of Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa adding new textures to the band’s sound. Yet it’s the core trio’s chemistry that remains the heart of the record. Their ability to translate intimate bedroom demos into fully-realised songs speaks volumes about their musical sixth sense.

While the album explores weighty themes, it never wallows. Instead, there’s an underlying current of hope that runs through even the darkest moments. Our Girl have crafted an album that feels, for want of a better description, sort of timeless. It’s a record that reveals new layers with each listen, inviting us to curl up and lose ourselves in its comforting embrace. ‘The Good Kind’ proves that sometimes, the long wait is worth it.