Girl Scout dazzle in a number of ways with their patented bubblegrunge flair that’s as touching as it is catchy.
Release date: March 20, 2026 | AWAL | Facebook | Instagram | Preorder
Swedish songwriters have gotten a bit of a bad rap the last decade or so. For at least that long, it’s been a sign, for the cynics anyway, of a sterile pop music project, workshopped and focus grouped to hell and back. Sometimes it’s true, others not. It became a bit of a meme with Green Day promoting their very not-that-great album Father of All Motherfuckers with billboards saying ‘No features. No Swedish songwriters. No trap beats. 100% pure uncut rock‘ with each line underscored by lines of cocaine. All right, man. All that shit talking just to release that album, the title of which you can’t even say or publish in mainstream media. Perhaps they should have had a feature or two, or maybe a trap beat on a song as a treat.
ANYWAY, who amongst us ever stopped to think that maybe the Swedish songwriters are prominent in Western pop music because they’re good? If you hadn’t, then Girl Scout‘s new debut album makes for a good time for that reflection. They are, unfortunately for Green Day, Swedish songwriters, but damn good at it. Brink amalgamates different avenues of striking, shimmering pop with indie rock flair that sounds like budding spring. They call it ‘bubblegrunge‘ on their Facebook, which I think is just a swell name for it.
I’m writing this review on the first day of daylight savings time in the US, one hour of time less to my name, but invigorated by more sun throughout the day. It’s a wonderful complement to the bouncy, nostalgic writing on “Same Kids” that reflects on the simplicity and communal dependence many of us remember as kids and teens, and striving for that connection wherever we may go. I know the lyrics ‘oh, to be young and to be bored‘ resonate with my generation, especially when we think back to how we used to (be able to) play outside, hang with our friends often instead of once a month at best when capitalism isn’t kicking our asses, and have no life-or-death cares in the world to speak of. It’s so catchy and cool, a sincere and blustery soul hidden under the clean guitars and lovely singing.
That song is bit more of the bubble side of the bubblegrunge. If you want the grunge, I’d point you to “Operator”, which is similarly fun as hell. It’s got touches of the more melodic sides of riot grrrl stuff with very singable lyrics and melodies. The effects on the singer’s voice and guitars are subtle (you know, compared to what I’m used to), but still had a slight edge. It feels like Sarah Tudzin had a hand in this song’s writing and/or production, and I of course mean that as a big compliment. If I were learning to play guitar or already knew, I’d absolutely learn this song and jam it out whenever I wanted to feel good about the world for three minutes (that’s my limit).
The emotional core of Brink is apparent for those with ears to hear it, but it gets more upfront with tracks like “Simple Life” and “Ugly Things”. The first one is a bit sardonic about not rocking the various boats in life, to the point of delusion with how far it goes in a reach for conformity. I get Kimya Dawson vibes with the deflated, matter-of-fact vocal approach. The latter is sweet and gentle, an ode to the people who pull us out of our spirals and brighten up rooms they’re in. The instrumentation is airy, the most fragile the album has to offer and helps give it a squishy core. “Keeper” gives them a run for their money so definitely peep that single if you want more.
I think the album cover really speaks to the tone of the album. Presumably the singer is perched on a windowsill, glass agape either moving for a quick escape to metaphorical freedom from her four walls or reaching down to retrieve something from a pal who came by to make her day. Each day an adventure where maybe you didn’t even know what would happen. Brink as a name brings to mind the precipice we often find ourselves at, begging internally for a change or maybe one is being foisted on us that we’d rather not deal with. Regardless, it’s a human experience and therefore makes for a human album, something that’s becoming more of a commodity as AI lurches in on music and sucks the soul out of everything. For the real feelers, this one’s for you.
Didn’t mention it before, but I took on this review on a total whim. Sometimes I have to review something besides weirdo shit and metal. My proclivity to this kind of sound through artists like Pom Pom Squad, illuminati hotties, or Kississippi made this a seamless switch-up, though. Girl Scout really have a particular sauce that they slather their music in to give it weight without being too emotionally heavy or dense. It’s multifaceted, but the fun is always apparent, there’s always a melody to latch onto, and the shiny presentation of it all makes it endearing. I mean, who hasn’t been at a brink lately? Who hasn’t looked back longingly on their past? Who hasn’t powered through the day feeling down despite the clear sky and joy looking for a respite to bring them back? Brink peels it all back in their own way and it’s beautiful to indulge in. Sorry, Green Day.
