In one of my favorite unexpected surprises of 2020, Travis Mills returned to music- alongside Nick Gross- to form the pop-punk leaning Girlfriends. The duo’s self-titled debut album is here and the sound will take old school fans on a sonic trip back to yesteryear. 

Mills and Gross are horny and heartbroken in turns, making for an album full of relatable bops. I dare you to sit still during “Stay Awhile” and “California”. The throwback intensifies with “Jessica”, a high energy song that calls back to the days of Metro Station’s “Kelsey” or The Summer Set’s “Chelsea”. And really, it’s tough to not enjoy a pop punk banger named after the girl that done you wrong (or right).

As we move into the second half of the record, Mills and Gross flex their years in the industry with a series of high profile features. The Used’s Bert McCracken lends his powerful vocals to “Over My Head” while Blink-182’s Travis Barker bashes away on “Where Were You”. Girlfriends muses on waiting on their lover with “Sugar on Her Lips” before DeathbyRomy joins the duo for a fun duet on “2am”. 

The album closes with the appropriately-titled “We’re All Fucked Up”, leaving listeners with the feeling that this record accurately encapsulates so much of what so many people are feeling right now. It’s been a lot of fun watching names from my time in the scene resurface in new ways and this self-titled record can be firmly added to that list. Mills and Gross are clearly having a ball on this album and it’s hard not to join in on the party they’re throwing. 

Don’t miss Girlfriends’ self-titled album, out now!

Story by Olivia Khiel
Image courtesy of Girlfriends