Times New VikingDancer Equired
Merge Records [2011]
Fire Note Says: Dancer Equired finds Times New Viking recording in a studio for the first time and slightly altering their style.
Album Review:
Change can keep everything fresh and what better time to offer something different then when you switch to a new label. That is exactly what Columbus, Ohio's Times New Viking has done on their Merge Records debut Dancer Equired, as the band ditched their lo-fi hissing rock and went
into an actual studio this time to record their most straightforward indie record to date. You catch on right away as the opening track "It's A Culture" starts with duel mirrored vocals from keyboardist Beth Murphy and drummer Adam Elliott and lets the song jangle along at mid-tempo pace with completely understandable lyrics. You might think it is just a trick but this formula is used throughout Dancer Equired with even more expansion into the vocal side of things that has tracks relying on layered harmonies. The interesting twist to Dancer Equired is that even though Times New Viking has cleaned up the vocals and lowered the intensity the instruments still come off completely raw. The album still hits their typical average length of 30 minutes, so it gives the listener plenty of time to absorb Dancer Equired and that is a good thing. It is a record that needs multiple spins because it does feature some of their best writing to date but without taking the instruments or washed out vocals a step further, Dancer Equired seems to stall. I respect Times New Viking for making a change but hopefully next time they will push more to become the band they were going for here because I get the change (and even like it) - I just don't hear their excitement!
Key Tracks: "Try Harder","Downtown Easter Bloc", "Want To Exist"
Change can keep everything fresh and what better time to offer something different then when you switch to a new label. That is exactly what Columbus, Ohio's Times New Viking has done on their Merge Records debut Dancer Equired, as the band ditched their lo-fi hissing rock and went
Key Tracks: "Try Harder","Downtown Easter Bloc", "Want To Exist"
Bands With Similar Fire:
Pavement
Yuck
Sonic Youth
Times New Viking: Stay Awake [EP] [Fire Note Review 10/28/08]Yuck
Sonic Youth
Times New Viking: Rip It Off [Fire Note Review 1/24/08]
Times New Viking: Present The Paisley Reich [Fire Note Review 8/9/07]
-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony
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