Album review: What Chaos is Imaginary by girlpool

Photo courtesy of Anti-

girlpool

What Chaos is Imaginary

Anti-

Score: A-

Undeniably hypnotic in its dream-like approach, girlpool’s third LP, What Chaos Is Imaginary effortlessly floats from sunny openings to sonic storms throughout its 14 tracks.

With reverb soaked guitars and delicate vocals, What Chaos Is Imaginary feels complete as a complementary project from one track to the next without ever feeling too linear. Where tracks like “Chemical Freeze” dizzy with swirling instrumentals, others, like opener “Lucy,” punch with a straight-ahead warm punk rock drive.

On standout track “What Chaos is Imaginary,” synths seem to air a dramatic organ tone before being joined by bright keys at the chorus, and later a theatrical string arrangement, which brings the song to its densely dazzling finale.

Never static in its approach, girlpool go far beyond any previous labelling on What Chaos Is Imaginary, offering an atmospheric collection which beautifully soars throughout.

– Nathan Kunz