Album Review: Static

Taxi Girls are a Montréal band that formed in 2022. Since 2023, they’ve released multiple singles and have now arrived with their debut album on Stomp Records. 

Static is a concise, endearing record which I like more and more with every listen. On Static, Taxi Girls draw from punk, garage, and pop. They effectively combine these influences with their own creativity and make it sound effortless. If you like Bikini Kill, the Ramones, or CUB, you’ll probably like this record.

Taxi Girls tickles my fancy vocally when they lean into big harmonies and smaller, Moe Tucker-esque DIY solo vocal performances. “So Quaint” combines these two vocal styles, which makes it my favourite song on the record. It’s lyrically simple and has a beautiful melody that reminds me of the Beach Boys and the Ronettes. It’s quiet, reflective, and feels both mysterious and incredibly real and personal. The album is full of delicious moments like this one.

There is another vocal approach on this record that Taxi Girls use. On “Say It” and “Red Flag Crush,” one of the singers uses a heavier, more metal-ish vocal sound, which I don’t enjoy as much. However, this vocal sound does not entirely get in the way of my enjoyment of these songs. 

The thematic underpinnings of this album are one of its strengths. Most of the songs on Static are about some form of discomfort. There is no clear resolution to this discomfort on the record. On “Midnight Mixtape,” there is the possibility of release through nostalgia, but nostalgia delivers only more restless feelings. On “Red Flag Crush,” bad cycles seem to only repeat themselves. On “Try Harder,” frustrations boil over. Static registers as a very honest album that does not sugarcoat anything it has to say. 

“Midnight Mixtape” is another standout on the record. If any song could sum up all of the themes on this record, it would be “Midnight Mixtape.” The speaker is regressing into old habits and nostalgia in an attempt to escape the mundane horrors of life. Cigarettes, and old music, these earthly pleasures cannot make traffic move. The speaker remains static. I listen to “Midnight Mixtape” as a more mature, world-weary take on “Roadrunner” by the Modern Lovers.  

Static can be emotional and intense, but also sonically bubbly and twee. It’s a shame that this messiness isn’t reflected at all in the album cover. The best I can say of the Static album cover is that it looks professional. The image of the wet lemon, I believe, is a reference to lyrics on “Try Harder.” Despite this tie-in, the album cover is just not a compelling package for this great batch of songs. 

A boring album cover isn’t the worst thing in the world. Despite the album’s lackluster visual presentation, I’d recommend Static to anybody who’s been itching to listen to some Canadian punk or garage music. I’d recommend fans of Blondie, Dolly Mixture, and X-ray Specs give Static a listen.