Album Review; Times New Viking-Born Again Revisited

It's incredible what some good press can do for a band these days. Since releasing Rip It Off in 2008, Times New Viking went from being a small unknown band recording on Slitbreeze to being one of the premier no-fi bands releasing on Matador. Rightfully so for a band this good, and now we get what might be their best work yet, Born Again Revisited.

First off, part of Times New Viking's appealed is that everything they make sounds like shit. So anyone worried over the fact that hits record supposedly has 25% more fidelity can rest easy because all the ununderstandable vocals and cardboard box drum kit sound are still there in all their shitgaze goodness. That being said, however, what does come out of the mix clearer this time is the band's evident, but deeply buried pop songs. There are the obvious stand outs like "No Time, No Hope" with it's Stephen Malkmus type lyrics on boredom or the bands ode pissed off boredom, laziness, and catchiest song to date, "Move To California" Then There are the songs that make you work to appreciate them. Like the album's title track which comes off as pure anti-pop, but is catchy in the way only Times New Viking can make a song with the same line repeated over and over again catchy. This song also exemplifies the dcarker and grity tone Born Again Revisited has rather than the sunshiny feel that Rip It Off had. While Rip It Off as came off as Times imbracing the light of a new record label, Born Again Revisisted comes of the band retreating to their cave and seeing the dark world around, causing them to simply not care anymore (not that they really cared about anything in the first place).

In the end, if Rip It Off held no meirt to you, Born Again Revisisted won’t offer much to change your mind. Buy if all of Rip It Off’s mp-fi, fuzz, and TNV’s style of pop music simply blew your mind, Born Again Revisited will do it…again, maybe even better. Bring on the next 7” EP.

(mp3) Times New Viking-No Time, No Hope
(mp3) Times New Viking-Move To California
(mp3) Times New Viking-Half Day in Hell




Times New Viking’s Myspace