Charlottesville, VA's 7th Grade Girl Fight might have a band name that could potentially conjure assumptions of smartass pop-punk or something, but that's absolutely not the case at all. In fact, their mature and meaningful brand of multifaceted indie rock balances a heartfelt aesthetic that sways effortlessly between soft/somber and catchy/high-energy tunes with sort of a "folksy" edge, if that makes sense. I suppose what I'm getting at is that there's a certain undercurrent to their music that makes me suspect they're drawing from a few influences that are a little outside of the central genres that I'm most familiar with, but... whatever they're doing to pull it off totally works for me!
It was actually tough to pick which track to highlight, as there are a number of standouts. Opener "A Little Closer" was an immediate contender with its faster-paced vibe and melodic hooks; but "The Long Way" provides a more accurate representation of the band's range, and there's just something about that stellar verse riff that really connects with me.
The quintet just released their self-titled debut full-length last week, after a few years' worth of EPs and singles. Bandcamp will have you covered digitally as well as with a limited run of CDs, and there's always Spotify for the streamin' types. According to Instagram, it seems there might be vinyl as well? So, reach out to the band if that option intrigues you!