Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong

Nostalgia is one of the most truly disabling sensations. A new bed will never be the same as your old one; so what if it was too big to get into your new apartment? There must have been a way. The new one sucks, isn’t as comfy and looks shit. But it’s the only bed you got, so you gotta make do with it. Eventually, you fall for the new bed’s charm. It isn’t that bad after all. I mean, some great things have happened in the new bed. Great things.

Brooklyn’s all girl trio, Vivian Girls, won us all over with their first, self-titled release last year. Racking up an astounding twenty minutes, the painfully good looking and talented (see live reviews) ladies showed us that DIY was not only for the lads. And that they could sorta do it better too. With cunning lyrics (‘No’ in particular), this debut stole the hearts of skinny ass dudes and super impressed chicks all over the place. Finding a position in Rough Trade’s 2008 top 10, they had succeeded, with their first shot, at producing an album that would get played over and over, and over again.

So now there’s a new record. Huh. Apprehensive is the first word that springs to mind. Surely, a new album can only be a let down? I mean, come on! Who can top what they just did? They sure as hell can’t!

Well, like the new bed, ‘Everything Goes Wrong’ has a cheeky charm about it. At thirty-six minutes in length, we’re already looking at a new level of maturity.. Or could it just be that the threesome have each found a new and greater confidence in their playing power? They must’ve, ‘cos they are tight as a chicken’s asshole. Longer tracks means more room for musical prowess, right?

While ‘Vivian Girls’ was pure punk, riot grrrl stuff, ‘Everything Goes Wrong’ has got a more doo-wop-y sound to it. Think more modern, harder Shangri-Las. Tracks ‘Can’t Get Over You’ and ‘When I’m Gone’ hold that pop riff magic that only sixties girl group and Motown nailed. The band haven’t totally abandoned their original sound though; on ‘Survival’ and ‘I Have No Fun’ we’re reminded just why their debut was so special. Why they are so special.

Vivian Girls deserve all the praise they get. Here’s a band that can maintain it’s primary stance while still developing. Just listen to closing track ‘Before I Start To Cry’ if you need any more proof. ‘Cos after all, it’s all about what’s happening in the new bed that’s really important. You can still adore the old one though.