June 1, 2005

Girlyman Little Star by Lucky Tomaszek

Recently I had the opportunity to see Girlyman perform some of their new songs at a house concert. I sat there wishing we could put a sound chip into every Vital Source this month, like those 1990's Hallmark cards, so everyone could hear what I heard. Their presence, grace and talent are almost beyond description. Cliché terms like, "enchanting," "engaging" and "dedicated" kept popping into my head, but they are all of that and more. They are, quite simply, Girlyman.

The Girlymen - Doris Muramatsu, Tylan Greenstein and Nate Borofsky - share songwriting duties and perfectly accompany each other with voice and melody. Girlyman's second release, Little Star is filled with words that hook you with their beauty. Musically, the album treats you to a tapestry of sounds, weaving acoustic guitar with djembe drum, banjo, mandolin and more.

Girlyman had a big year in 2004, winning an Independent Music Award and an Outmusic Award for their first album, Remember Who I Am, as well as signing to Daemon Records and touring with the Indigo Girls.

Little Star opens with "On The Air," a humorous and nostalgic song about the world of 1950's television, ironically written by people who were too young to enjoy it firsthand. The whole project explores the world around us with irreverence and honesty, while never taking itself too seriously. The title for the album comes from the hopeful final track, "This Is Me," with the optimistic "A little star of hope in skies we are."

Band member Greenstein calls Little Star "part commentary, part confession." Girlyman are quickly establishing themselves as a band to watch, to know and to love.