There is nothing on the new Vivian Girls album, Memory, out on Polyvinyl Records on Friday, that is likely to shock or surprise even a casual fan of this trio. And that should count for a lot. Much like The Ramones before them, Vivian Girls have a template and (largely) stick to it. There's little need to expand upon it, and no matter how fantastic producer Rob Barbato has made this record sound -- and it sounds EPIC -- the music of Vivian Girls remains wonderful in a familiar way.
With the rush of early single "Something to Do", we're back where we should be, the trio making this sound like Lesley Gore and The Mary Chain, while "Sludge" is rougher, proto-Stooges stuff. Memory offers a number like "Your Kind of Life", a cut that positively chimes, right next to the sublime "Sick", a track that's mixed as expertly as "Everything With You" by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. It's an awesome track, and one which roars in all the right ways. Elsewhere, "At It Again" is bright, while "I'm Far Away" and "Lonely Girl" are just light enough in spots as to feel like classic pop songs, even if the guitars and other instruments are as loud and affecting as those from an old grunge single. The appeal of these songs is like a drug that should go right into the veins of any indie fan, and one is glad, when hearing these and the rest of Memory, that Cassie Ramone, Ali Koehler, and Katy Goodman are back.
Memory is out on Friday via Polyvinyl Records.
More details on Vivian Girls via the official Facebook page.
[Photo: Polyvinyl Records]