Sea Girls - Homesick

After swinging for a big hit and connecting on every level with a strong 2020 debut, Sea Girls' frontman and songwriter Henry Camamile didn't get to revel in glory, instead forcefully placed back in the bedroom of his adolescence. Inevitably conjuring up some old memories, both joyful and playful, the indie-rock quartet's second LP 'Homesick' is burdened with an unwilling exploration of identity.

Observing how happiness in the past can result in woes in the present, a general sense of frustration is embedded throughout as the band struggle to take ownership of their intentions and indeed actions. Fortunately, the inner turmoil that bursts through explodes in a sonic euphoria, with hooks as undeniably compelling as ever.

'Hometown' and 'Sick' flow with whirring guitars and slick but subdued vocals, establishing the fact that you cannot escape where you're from and where you've been - and this isn't always a good feeling. While focusing on a matured perspective on teenage highs, the monumental groove of 'Lucky' comments on wasted potential and a deep fear of missing out.

The record steers through hopeless romance and narcotics. Promises of a "more ambitious sound" ring true, with tracks like 'Cute Guys' amplifying a relatable level of rejection through raw and quivering vocals soon joined by warbling synths and a heavy rhythm backing, all expanding the characterisation of Sea Girls' definitive sonic style.

'Homesick' shows that Sea Girls still have much more to explore. It's a record sonically expressing a disjointed reminder of youth; the highs, the lows, trying to explain your own actions and move forward with a positive mindset. As the sincerely charged closer 'Friends' summarises: "Enjoy the good times while they last because soon that shit will all be in the past."