Effusive Supreme – Lovely Little Girls (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Ah, brace yourselves for a trip through the kaleidoscopic wilderness of sound that is Chicago’s Lovely Little Girls and their latest opus, “Effusive Supreme.” Now, it’s been a spell since their last full-length masterpiece, “Glistening Vivid Splash”, dropped in 2016. But fret not, my sonic explorers, for they’ve returned with a vengeance.

You might recall encountering a glimpse of their eccentricity on the Post Now: Round One – Chicago vs. New York compilation with the likes of “Be Good to Your Shoes” and “Emphatic Service.” Well, those gems make a triumphant return on this odyssey, joined by eight more auditory anomalies that make up the essence of Lovely Little Girls.

The curtain rises with “Polyester and Saltwater,” an instrumental fever dream that kicks things off with a whirlwind of percussion, odd-meter riffs, and a tantalizing interplay between trombone and saxophone. It’s a carnival of the bizarre, my friends.

Next up, “Breathing on the Back” keeps the percussive fire burning, infusing it with Gregory Jacobsen’s semi-spoken vocal incantations. Amidst this sonic stew, avant-rock instrumental sections erupt with horns, bass, and guitar. The avant-garde has never tasted so sweet.

Then, our old friends “Be Good to Your Shoes” and “Emphatic Service” make their cameo appearances, like familiar faces in a hallucinatory dream. A brief vocal interlude with a sprinkle of sound effects spices things up.

“(She Puts the) T&A in TA” takes us on a wild ride, a gender-bent romp that nods to “Hot for Teacher,” albeit with a delicious twist. It’s a femme fatale’s anthem, embellished with those magnificent horn sections that define Lovely Little Girls’ signature.

But amid this sonic circus, one track, “Shadow of Bees,” emerges as my personal standout. Here, the bass, guitar, and drums march forward with an unwavering rhythm, while vocals and horns contort and cavort through a sonic gymnastics routine.

“Effusive Supreme” is more than an album; it’s a testament to Lovely Little Girls’ musical evolution. The instrumental arrangements have grown more intricate, while the lyrical transgressions, though somewhat subdued, still whisper their subversive secrets. In short, this is their finest sonic tapestry yet, a harbinger of even greater musical adventures on the horizon. Buckle up, my friends, for the journey has just begun.