The recent Indian summer here in San Francisco is the perfect timing for local group Girls‘ debut, Album. Our city’s definitely still got the taste of summer in our mouths, but let’s face it, San Francisco — like the flings in Girls’ lyrics, those good times are nearly over and the bittersweet taste of Fall is upon us. Album covers all the bases and savors the best parts of this season in twelve tracks — telling tales of heartbreak and past romance with a sound reminiscent of the melancholic and frustrating last days of summer, when flings have faded and you long for cooler days — making Girls’ release the soundtrack you’ll remember your Indian summer by in 2009.

What’s to like about this album? It depends on what you’re looking for. It’s a colorful display of Girls’ honest versatility. It kicks off with “Lust for Life,” in which singer Christopher Owens‘ howls with a rockabilly fuzz “I wish I had a suntan, I wish I had a pizza and a bottle of wine.” Over-driving guitars and fast-pounding snare is Owens’ standout voice. Uniquely innocent, it is sprinkled with imperfection, but still far from squeaky-clean. Many times he never hits the note quite right, and that’s exactly why he nails it — it’s just effortlessly cool.

Then there are songs directly pitted towards Girls’ past girls. The heartfelt “Lauren Marie,” is a sweet and somber dedication that screams of love and defeat. The tambourine, eerie Bonanza-style riffs and hollowed out reverb give this track a girl group feel, while still clutching onto Girls’ easy sound. Owens croons “Oh, Lauren Marie … I might never get my arms around you but that doesn’t mean that I won’t try.” Right after that slowly rips our hearts out, we meet “Laura,” upbeat and complete with swirling guitar solos. Owens whines in the chorus “Reach out and touch me, I’m right here, and I don’t wanna fight anymore.” Polished off with foggy ooh-ahhs and ba-ba-bas in the leisurely breakdown, this song makes you want to head down to the shore in your shined-up Chevy Woody with Laura in tow. Or, if you’re like me and you heard how Owens called her a bitch in the second verse, then maybe you’re thinking, “Laura, what did you ever do to this guy?”

Girls wraps up Album with a heavy mid-tempo cut called “Darling.” With twangy guitars sounding like something straight out of the score of American Graffiti, Girls adds more diversity to the album with this song. Suntans now fading, the duo winds us down and plays us out with the smooth-riding anthemic chorus. I’m confident this song is going to be a concert crowd favorite. This album was definitely made for hand holding, long drives, and to make you just feel flat-out nostalgic. So if you happen to be looking for the ideal end of summer album, and even if you’re not, there’s so much to notice on this debut that there’s something for everyone. I’m sure this album will end up on many Best of ‘09 lists and with good reason. A band with clear promise and talent for variety keeps their fans guessing and I think Girls will do just that.

Girls releases their full-length EP today on True Panther Records. Get it here.

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