Review: Vivian Girls - Share the Joy

Artist: Vivian Girls
Title: Share The Joy
Format: Full-length
Year: 2011
Label: Polyvinyl Records
Genre: Garage Girl Pop
Rating: 82 / 100

What? new Dum Dum Girls ánd Vivian Girls releases in just one week? Well, not really, He Gets Me High was actually released this week (I think), this new Vivian Girls album has just leaked, but will be released this spring. As you might have noticed, I am a huge Vivian Girls fan, ever since their debut album in 2008, I fell in love with their fast, melodic, noisy garage pop. Some changes have been made since this first record, they changed their drummer a few times, from Frankie Rose (now in Frankie Rose and the Outs) to Ali Koehler (now in Best Coast) to Fiona Campbell (former Coasting member). The music, fortunately, stayed the same. This is already the third full album filled with chaotic, but dreamy little pearls, very similar to the earlier mentioned Dum Dum Girls (w0wzerz, see review below), and even more Best Coast.

The thing where Vivian Girls really distinguishes themselves from these other bands is the teamwork of vocal melodies. Vivian Girls' bassplayer Katy Goodman (that dangeroulsy good looking girl, on the picture) forms a little one-girl-choir by doing the background vocals on this album, giving it a little bit more of a 60's girl group feeling (think The Ronettes, The Shangri-las). And since I totally adore both The Ronettes and The Shangri-las, I also adore this new Vivian Girls record. The only little thing I noticed while comparing this one to the first two is that the happiness and "up-temponess" of these records is a little bit gone on Share the Joy. But that, dear tea-with-sugar-enjoying, soon Hypomanie groupies being sweethearts, is basically all that can be said about this lovely piece of rumbly music.That, besides I really didn't think it was necessary to include a full band picture when your bass player is so cute.

Spread the rumble, and don't forget to put more reverb on your drums,

Selwin.

Edit (March 27th): I noticed a huge mistake in the title, sorry, it should be Share the Joy of course.