Angelsaur are a Los Angeles duo made up of vocalist and bassist Logan McQuade and guitarist Jonah Feingold. They crossed paths at USC’s Thornton School of Music and have since toured with the likes of King Princess and Mark Ronson. But after dropping their debut, Children Disguised As Adults, in 2023. They now return with The Girls Are Stressed, an album born from McQuade’s seven-year breakup and time off the road.
Working with Andy Baldwin, they deliver a record that digs into aging, self-worth, and sobriety. All while mixing grunge, alt-rock, and experimental synths. They want it to feel like a live show, but sometimes that energy gets in the way of actually connecting.
The album opens with the title track, “The Girls Are Stressed.” It has a sharp sense of humor and a surprisingly catchy guitar riff. McQuade’s vocals are held back, layered behind the instruments and synths, which creates this distance that works against the lyrics. Lines like “Holy shit, I’m looking old” and “Please think of me when you masturbate,” hit with that dry wit that keeps things grounded.
Yet midway through, the tempo picks up around the “I’m kicking my door down” part, with a short burst of frustration and restless energy that then eases back into the groove. That push and pull between holding it together and losing it runs through the whole track, and honestly, the entire album.
Later, “Selling Off My Parts to Pay My Debt” is a total earworm with no synths crowding it out. The guitars and catchy lyrics get their moment to shine, showing a rawer side of the band. Then there’s “u & me,“ which leans hard on synths. Giving the track a moody, immersive feel. But once again, McQuade’s voice gets buried behind layers. Making it feel distant, as if the emotions are close but just out of reach. It’s pretty and vulnerable, sure, but sometimes you want the vocals to punch through more.
The album closes with “Around You,” a deeply personal song that builds from quiet to urgent. Layered synths and guitars surround McQuade’s worn but steady vocals, with lyrics wrestling with the way love can hold you together or tear you apart. It wraps up an album about self-worth and moving forward, balancing honesty with tight, heartfelt music.
The Girls Are Stressed isn’t perfect. It’s messy and honest, like the people behind it, trying to grow while carrying their weight. Angelsaur mixes humor, emotion, and layered production to create something interesting, even if it occasionally trips over its ambition. If you’re in that weird, stressful adulting phase and want a soundtrack that’s part grunge, part synth haze, this album’s got plenty to offer. Even when you’re stressed, there’s still stuff worth holding onto.
