The Austin quartet’s first album “Graceful” brings a careful, fuzzy energy to twee pop, released on the label founded by Beat Happening’s Calvin Johnson.
The Austin four-piece Touch Girl Apple Blossom have released their debut album “Graceful” via Perennial, a sub-label of K Records. The band’s name comes from a Beat Happening song, and that lineage isn’t just cosmetic. The album works within the bright, simple structures of twee pop but pushes past pastiche with a tighter, guitar-driven focus.
The sound across “Graceful” is immediate and jangly, rooted in the worlds of Heavenly and Tiger Trap. But tracks like “Dustin’s Song” veer into noisier territory with a brief solo that recalls Dinosaur Jr., while the five-minute closer “Big Star Shinin’” locks into a motorik groove reminiscent of Stereolab’s early experiments. The rhythm section keeps things nimble, with Olivia Garner’s voice sitting calmly between layered guitars and Daniel Charles Powell’s propulsive drumming.
There’s a directness to the songwriting that makes the springtime allusions in opener “The Springtime Reminds Me Of…” feel earned rather than borrowed. The group’s 2023 EP hinted at a fuzzier edge, and “Graceful” dials that back without losing the warmth. For an album so tied
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ROMBO Editorial Staff
The collective voice behind ROMBO Magazine’s news, reviews, features, and cultural coverage.
