The Preatures have never really seemed of this time. Their 2014 debut Blue Planet Eyes was steeped in 80s new wave sounds that earned them comparisons to The Pretenders and John Hughes movie soundtracks. Three years later, this follow-up finds them in much the same place.

Thats not to say the Australian four-piece havent had any new ideas in the intervening years. Girlhood sparkles with creativity, from climactic ambient motifs to riffs that sound like theyve been discovered in a long-forgotten record collection. Mess It Up rides on a funky bassline, frontwoman Izzi Manfredi grooving out her woes like a star. First Night ends with soft ripples that sound like youre swimming underwater on the moon, while Yanada opens with a brief burst of sci-fi tinged needling before seamlessly veering into INXS territory.

The record, the band say, is about the contradictions of being a modern woman. The title track addresses that theme right at the albums start, Izzi explaining: Fantasy rules and its there in my room / Yeah I tear myself apart for kicks for you / Whatever makes me a modern girl. Jack Moffitts guitar lines jitter quickly beneath, reinforcing a sense of uncertainty and urgency. On Lip Balm, a jangly pop treasure, Izzi delves into the personal performance of getting made up. I know that you dont wear it for me / That its only for when you wear your picture, she sings, mimicking the role of a partners understanding disapproval.

Originally, The Preatures only intended to spend a month writing and recording their second album, keen to keep the momentum from their acclaimed debut growing. That that month soon stretched into a year and a half can only have been a good thing. Without time and patience, Girlhood might not have sounded quite as accomplished as it does.

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The Preatures - Girlhood - DIY Magazine