“Yeah, they call it the Diamond life / More like a dollar and a dream”

Why have we not heard more of these guys? Originating in Washington D.C. as far back as 1988, Girls Against Boys have been around since 1988. Members of the band, which features two bassists, include vocalist Eli Janney, drummer Alexis Fleisig, and Johnny Temple and guitarist Scott McCloud, both of whom also played in then-contemporary group Soulside. Mixed with a crunch, electrical rhythm and down trodden vocals Girls Against Boys comes to a “Diamond Life” on EP The Ghost List. Less is more when introducing this band to new audiences, a band who provides an amazing quality of complex audio poetry within the rock genre.

Opening with “What About That,” GVSB have their album title cleverly hidden within the track. Track two comes ‘round with “Fade Out” and the danceable strumming picks up the tune as we spin in anticipation for the message-in-the-bottle kind of delivery. Just when you believe you’re about to have contact and connection, “Fade Out” drops out.

“60 is Greater Than 15” has everything going for it. Fat bottomed and seductive, the double base is front and center. “My Dream” says it’s time to be king for a day, and a queen for a night. Let’s get killed tonight. “Kick” is absolutely haunting. The introduction to the song is itself a “kick,” with slow buildup from chimes; an impending challenging doom is apparent.

There is clearly a lot that goes into the writing style of GVSB. Their lyrics are complex in nature and they are simply beautiful in delivery. But there isn’t a whole lot of tech to mention for this album. With heavy distortion and electric noise, all this one can say is “Well played.” The recording quality is great for the sound this band is going for and it’s exactly what the listener hopes to hear.