The Observer, March 7, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 20
Times New Viking skimps on time, but manages to deliver quality album
4/5 Stars
This may come as a surprise to many, but the state of Ohio is teeming with a vast array of edgy, hip, critically acclaimed musicians. Exhibit A would be Columbus natives Times New Viking (TNV), whose third LP, Rip It Off, was recently released by Matador Records. The darlings of Pitchfork Media and The New York Times, TNVs has raw scuzzy garage hooks and almost-too-lo-fi production whichcreates a Sex Pistols-meets-early-Sonic Youth fusion that is as deeply rooted in classic alternative rock and punk, as it is in being experimental and unique.
Rip It Off may have a strong overtone of chaotic distortion, but beneath the production lies a plethora of varied styles, genres, and subgenres. "Teenage Drama," the opening number, starts the album with a simple, distantly familiar chord progression mixed with the unconventionally sweet vocals of Adam Elliot and Beth Murphy, creating an emotionally charged nostalgia of teenage-dom. This longing for times past is amplified by the basement tape-like recording production that TNV chose, highlighting an era of music that is a thing of the past, due to innovations in and widespread availability of high quality recording equipment.
"My Head," the album's second song, displays the band's beautiful balance between raw and polished by using Murphy's bittersweet pitch to counter one of the heaviest melodies on the album. At 1:05, "Drop-Out," Rip It Off's best song, is hardly epic. Yet this minute should and will serve as a template for aspiring experimental indie artists. Though somewhat unconventional and noisy like all of TNV's work, "Drop-Out" manages to perfectly balance this with a sweet chorus, fantastic alternating vocals from Murphy and Elliot, and a very simple and catchy chord progression.
It's almost too appropriate that Times New Viking should be on Matador, a label that boasts a roster filled with unconventional beauty and nostalgia in the form of (one of my personal favorites) the New Pornographers, whose latest album, Challengers, is nothing if not nostalgic and charming, as well as Cat Power, whose two cover albums, 2000's The Covers Record and this year's Jukebox, are often considered her stronger, most interesting contribution to the music world. TNV fits perfectly into this mold, and though their sound will evolve and will probably lose the fuzziness over time, it is great to see that a new band can appreciate the past while looking ahead toward the future.
