U.S. Girls – ‘Bless This Mess’ album review: a funk-infused delight
Meghan Remy has returned with her eclectically experimental pop project, U.S. Girls, for another fantastic release in the form of Bless This Mess. Following a particularly successful string of records, including 2018’s In a Poem Untitled and 2020’s Heavy Light, Remy’s new album leans into her funk and disco influences like never before, resulting in a joyous collection of memorable, danceable tracks.
Opening with the indelible ‘Only Daedalus’, which boasts soulful keys and synths that evoke a distinctively retro sound, Remy’s syrupy voice soon chimes in with a classic pop sensibility. Remy spreads the funk influence into the following track, ‘Just Space For Light’, which infuses subtle reggae among its catchy soundscape, and its dimensions heightened by rich backing vocals. Meanwhile, on ‘Screen Face’, Remy duets with Michael Rault as the pair satirise online dating with lines such as “Your phone is dying, And I’m dying too, Dying to touch you, Dying to be in the same room”. The track takes a slower pace with minimal instrumentation yet remains effortlessly rhythmic and fun.
Remy brings in some heavier influences on ‘Futures Bet’ which begins with a raw guitar intro before a pounding beat makes way for a sugary sweet vocal performance. Optimism is brought to the table with the lines such as, “When nothing is wrong, Everything is fine, This is just life”, before a guitar solo emanates from the background. ‘So Typically Now’ is another slice of ’80s synth-pop goodness, also bearing the influence of 2000s electronica as electrifying beats pound forward, evoking a feeling of retro-futurism.
Another highlight comes in the form of ‘Tux (Your Body Fills Me, Boo)’, a breathtakingly groovy cut written from the perspective of a discarded tuxedo, which infuses the track with slight campiness, yet never falls into clichéd territory. Instead, the powerhouse track is infectiously catchy, culminating in an electro-funk freakout bound to get listeners moving.
Remy conceived Bless This Mess alongside the birth of her twin boys, inspired by her changing body and voice. Many songs on the album were performed whilst the babies were still in Remy’s womb or in her arms, subsequently influencing the album’s themes of motherhood, which are most prominent on album closer ‘Pump’. The song samples the sound of a breast pump, creating a unique noise that stands out amongst a varied musical palette, making for the perfect accompaniment to Remy’s reflection on humanity, singing, “Bodies birth death machines, four immense things we have in common”.
Although a few tracks, such as ‘RIP Roy G Biv’ and ‘Bless This Mess’ fail to pack the same musical punch as others, Remy’s eighth studio album is still a delight, indulging in the desire to keep on going by throwing shapes at life’s paradoxes and complications. Bless This Mess demonstrates both thematic and musical progression for Remy, and it’s a real treat.
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