A band for which politics and activism have always been an integral part of their collective identity (if for no other reason than that they're eyes-opening to the silliness of the world around them), Goat Girl are broadening their horizons even further with their third full-length album. And it's no mean feat to achieve that. Since their sophomore album, 2021's On All Fours, the quartet has become a trio, each of whom has faced significant personal obstacles. As a result, you couldn't blame them for seeking solace in the familiarity of their South London post-punk roots.
But instead, Below The Waste presents something far more intriguing. Weaving field recordings of animal sounds, rain, and laughter into a lush instrumental tapestry, the project is a complex, layered exploration of the push and pull between an idealized natural world and our destructive urban reality. “The cash machines are overflowing / Every park / Left to grow from the seeds we sow,” Lottie Pendlebury whispers over the swirling textures of perhaps, a sort of ecological take on the utopian optimism of Imagine. There's something eerie and almost primal about the instrumental “jump sludge.” Meanwhile, the bedroom-pop-esque single motorway is more grounded in the everyday, finding solace in the liminal space between departure and destination. Brief interludes of lighter sounds (i.e. opener “reprise,” “prelude,” and “smog”) offset the LP's occasional density, but when Goat Girl give themselves the space to fully unfold (as on the stunning six-minute closer “wasting”) the result is fully immersive.
And despite its extroverted sensibility, Below The Waste is a deeply personal work, considering not only man's relationship to the world, but also to each other. The three tracks that address drummer Lou's experiences with addiction – “words fell out,” “tcnc” and “take it away” – are each stunningly powerful in strikingly different ways, and ultimately underscore the importance of resilience and mutual support as a means of remaking ourselves in a new, better image.