I really adore the Vivian Girls and after seeing Cassie, Katy and Fiona at The Echo a few weeks ago I fell in love. However their third full-length Share The Joy is not a great album. That being said, there is a lot of love about this effort from (now) seniors of the "fuzzy buzzy" (or whatever) genre applied to a lot of acts these days combing punk and pop in a way that is more The Jesus & Mary Chain and less Blink-182.
Strangely as Vivian Girls have eased the reigns off the lo-fi distortion, Cassie Ramone's mumble has become more endearing. "Take It As It Comes" is a perfect modern update on the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack," and the searing damnation on "Trying To Pretend" works because of Cassie's acerbic and shakey delivery. With less noise, Katy's bass lines slip around more melodically, but never leave their punk roots. New drummer Fiona adds a bit more dynamism all around (see "Death" or "Sixteen Ways").
Admittedly though, the six-minute tracks, opener "The Other Girls" and closer "Light In Your Eyes" respectively, are a drag. The guitar solos on the record are fatally thin for this blogger. Live, they blister by, chaotically free. Here they are dead in the water.
It's obvious that the girls are stretching their legs on Joy, trying things that are clearly out of their comfort zones. This makes the triumphant lead single,"I Heard You Say," all the more stunning, and in many ways a detriment to the entire LP. This pop masterpiece clearly shows that when all signals align, Vivian Girls can do anything.
Listen:
Vivian Girls-"I Heard You Say"
Look:
Vivian Girls on myspace
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