Artist: Times New VikingTitle: Dancer Equired
Format: Full-length
Year: 2011
Label: Wichita
Genre: Noise pop / shitgaze
Rating: 67 / 100
They are loud, they are noisy, they put distortion on every synth they can get their hands on, they don't care about production and they have just released a new album: Dancer Equired. Times New Viking is the embodiment of not giving a shit about anything, Times New Viking is the embodiment of pure sonic violence. Being around since 2005, they have an extremely productive history, releasing 5 albums, 2 EP's and a bunch of singles in only 6 years. As I am a huge fan of rumbly noise pop, this is the third album I hear from them, even 'though they didn't change too much in their relatively short lifespan, one might notice they decided to turn the gain knob on their amps and pedals a bit more anticlockwise, making their 2011 album a bit more listenable for the average indie pop fan. This might be a welcome change for them, I personally prefer their more punky, distorted sound on the previous records. Don't get me wrong, this will probably still be considered as extremely noisy compared to your average indie rock band, but this time they will not fuck your speakers up.
Besides some exeptions, most of the tracks are relatively down-tempo, which might be a kind of kamikaze in some cases. Lo-fi and noisy goes perfectly well with uptempo songs like Fuck Her Tears, but lo-fi and noisy and down-tempo pop songs just don't go along very well. Unfortunately, the major part of this album falls into that last category. It's like a part of the musical anger from the earlier albums is gone on Dancer Equired, the musical anger which made me love Times New Viking in the first place. Let's say they went from running on the boulevard, screaming out loud random things, to sitting down on a bench on the boulevard discussing what they did last week. It's a bit of the same traject Smith Western went, improving their sonic quality, but loosing their youth. And oh, how I love youthful music.One could call this new Times New Viking a vexation, but it is a vexation with some tiny hints of flown awes0meness, to be heard in the opening track: It's a Culture and especially Fuck Her Tears. Every band has its right to disappoint of course, but I hope this was just a little dip, because really, this album isn't so bad after all.
Destroy your ears, but do it with love,
Selwin.
This is a terrible review. An opinion not derived from my perception of the album (which by the way, I think is fucking awesome, by far their best), but from the misguided and generally ignorant statements you've made throughout.
ReplyDeleteAnyone anticipating the album in high esteem, don't be put off by this review, it's predominantly bullshit. Trust me, I'm a doctor.
I am deeply sorry you had to read an opinion about this album which isn't shared by you, it must be an absolute awful thing to go through. I would recommend to you to only type "Times New Viking Dancer Equired positive review" into google next time, so you will not ever be confronted with opinions contradictory with yours again.
ReplyDeleteTrust me, I finished kindergarten.
Hugs, gentle strokes and semi-drunk kisses,
Selwin.
Nah, it sucks. Selwin's right. Some decent tracks mostly marred by a lack of melody or anything aside from G, C, D. TNV used to have tunes. I don't know what this is. But I'm you're going to assault my ear holes with this type of brash production you'd better bring the ma'fuckin songs... and this time, TNV didn't. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteProgression is good in a bands lifestyle according to you, but if youthful spunk is lost than the album is near-shit?
ReplyDeleteRating: 67 / 100, that isn't really near-shit is it? Of course I love progression, if this means improvement, but I didn't experience this album as being an improvement. And as reviews are meant to be mainly subjective, it wasn't rated as a great album, but as a bit mediocre one.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the big deal? Am I not allowed to dislike this album? Why so much personal hate for not liking an album? Where did the love go?
Hugs,
Selwin.
Tracks 'marred by lack of melody'? What the fuck?
ReplyDeleteThis is TNV's least lo-fi album, it has the clearest production, most decipherable lyrics, it's the most melodic. If you dislike basic chord progressions and distorted production then why the hell are you listening to Times New Viking?! When were they anything except those things? And also, what hell is wrong with basic chord progressions? Modern music was founded upon basic chord progressions. We wouldn't have The Beatles, or Bob Dylan, or Johnny Cash, or Nirvana, without basic chord progressions.
And Selwin, people aren't hating on you because you dislike the album, it's because of your review. It's poorly written, features conflicting statements, and just a generally bad insight into the album. Perhaps you should concentrate less on drinking red wine and writing vaguely witty and insulting responses, and actually take into consideration what people are saying.
I assume the first paragraph was a response to March 29, 2011 11:05 PM, because none of those statements were mine (lack of melody, hating poor production, chord progression etc.).
ReplyDeleteOn the second paragraph: I will be the last person to deny my poor writing skills, but a bad insight in the album? I am a huge noise pop fan, really loved the earlier Times New Viking recordings (TNV is the most listened artist on this harddisk), but I felt a lack of enjoyment, the enjoyment which I did have with their earlier works, and a major part of other lo-fi/noise pop bands. If this means a bad insight in the album, so be it, I have rarely experienced any insight in any album because I seldom focus on anything else besides the music itself, overall atmosphere and my general enjoyment of the music. If you mean insight in the type of music, or this genre in specific, I will assure you I won't write anything about kinds of music I know absolutely nothing about (exceptions were made for that Carrion Spring record).
If this is, according to you (and apparently some other people), the cause of a bad insight in music, or more specifically in this album, than that's perfectly fine with me, I've never listened to music to gain insight, I listen because I have an undescribable love for music in general, especially the here discussed types of music. I just prefer love to knowledge.
May I ask you what you would consider as "insight" into an album or a genre in general?
Love = strawberries,
Selwin.