Remember the 80s – C86, a less bigoted incarnation of Morrissey, and all the lo-fi indie you could shake a stick at? No, me neither, I wasn’t around until the late 90s, but Vivian Girls remain a bit of a throwback on their first album in eight years.
Their indie fuzz and vocal harmonies are the ideal fit for September and the mild weather that comes with it. Straddling the line between jangle pop and garage rock, the New York band know what they’re doing and doing it well. This is no half-arsed reunion – this is committed noise-pop with a point to prove.
But, wall-of-guitar music can sometimes be overpowering, it can overwhelm a listener easily. This, however, avoids ear ache well. It leans on the bass for its melodies and has some pacey drum beats throughout, giving it that 80s alternative sound whilst also kinda reminding you of British indie from the late noughties – it would fit perfectly in the inbetweeners soundtrack to be honest.
At 12 songs. 33 minutes. The record is short and sweet, nicely formed and worth the wait.
Haiku Review
Fuzzy garage tunes,
Indie stalwarts back again,
You really were missed,
Listen to Vivian Girls on Spotify and Apple Music.
