Before forming
Sorry Girls
, singer/songwriter
Heather Kirkpatrick
and producer/songwriter
Dylan Konrad Obront
had already recorded some songs together at a friends' place as university students -- though they were for fun and meant as jokes. It wasn't until eight years later in 2016 that they wrote and recorded a proper track together, which grew into the self-released EP
Awesome Secrets
. Three years later,
stay true to the '80s pop and new wave inspirations that brought them together, including a fondness for synth-heavy power ballads, on their full-length debut,
Deborah
. Layering sleek and dreamy components, including
Kirkpatrick
's wispy, yearning vocals, the album was mixed by
David Carriere
, guitarist for like-minded
Arbutus Records
labelmate
TOPS
. "Waking Up" opens the ten-song set with a distinctively '80s, gated reverb-inspired snare tone and crisper electronic drums. They're accompanied by humming synths and melodic guitar, which make way for
's pouty melody while maintaining a swirly, tinny atmosphere. The album is populated by likewise mid-tempo tracks as well as nods to the '80s such as its artwork's intense pastels and a song called "Dirty Laundry" (not a cover of the
Don Henley
hit). It's a tender, reverb-saturated slow jam about having to make room in life for serious ambitions. Detailing like processed vocal samples, occasional spacey electronic effects, and dramatic stops and starts prevent the song from becoming a sleepy production exercise while providing a welcome update. Acknowledging more up-tempo dance tracks, like "Undercover" and "H O N E S T Y," the same can be said of the rest of the album, which remains loyal to an approach that's ultimately more memorable than the songs themselves. ~ Marcy Donelson