Music Review: “Half You Half Me” by Girls in Trouble

JDub Music INC
2011

Reviewed by Emaan Maed, 15
Texas

Half You Half Me is certainly one of the oddest albums I’ve ever listened to. The Girls in Trouble sophomore album laces ten tracks with biblical allusions. The artists weave history into familiar ballads; stories of heartbreak pay tribute to saints as well as modern day women. Alicia Jo Rabbins, the mastermind behind Girls In Trouble, submerged herself in the history of the forgotten women of the Torah for years before memorializing her findings in songs. Through the new album, we are treated to the musical stories of a dozen of these women such as Lillith, the first wife of Adam and arguably the original feminist.

While all the stories are serious and often tragic, most are paired with lilting music and vocals. The album starts with “We Are Androgynous,” a sunny song about androgynous storm demons.  In “DNA,” a song about wronged sisters Rachel and Leah, the lyrics “Some sisters stay home and some sisters leave/Some sisters get what the other one needs/Some sisters blossom and some sisters bleed,” are sung to almost victoriously happy instrumentals. Though this is an unusual combination, it makes Half You Half Me that much more interesting and sonically pleasing.

The album is hard to categorize in a single genre. The songs are light and heavy on cheery instrumentals, with Rabbins’ voice softly adding another layer to the mix.  Often, the chorus is a beautifully wrought accordion in harmony with a few guitars.

Half You Half Me is an album entirely unique in its history-ridden premise, and its music more than lives up to its taller-than-life stories. In all, this is a very pleasant and intriguing album that I expect history buffs as well as music lovers to enjoy.