Times New Viking – Dancer Enquired
Like certain contemporary photographers, Times New Viking continue to work at the fringes of society, capturing snippets of beauty amongst absolute decay. In this respect, Dancer Enquired is true to form. Yet, after lead guitarist Jared Phillips recently declared the latest incarnation of lo-fi dead, it comes as little surprise to find that these affable Ohioans have undertaken a spot of spring cleaning for their fifth album.
So, with a spit and polish, Dancer Enquired presents itself at a crossroad. Still anchored in the band’s trademark noise and treble abuse, but now with a calm, breezy insouciance such as arrives after a clammy storm, it isn’t awkward in finding its feet, rather in spreading its wings.
With fewer sonic masks to hide behind, it’s unnecessary to say that song-craft then becomes key. Luckily therefore, the band still know their way around a hook or two, and, now audible, melodious garage cuts like “Don’t Go To Liverpool” and “Want To Exist” make for excellent alternatives to their former, buzzsaw-like theatrics.
There’s a flipside to all of this though of course. Lower fidelity takes on the same sound, such as “More Rumours”, may well, with the full pedal treatment, have slayed in the Rip It Off era, but here, along with lesser moments such as “Ways To Go”, they add a harmless quality to Times New Viking’s sound – something entirely new to their canon.
All the same, thanks to Beth Murphy and Adam Elliott ‘s ever-present and pleasantly buzzing vocals, the fourteen-track running order that comprises Dancer Enquired whizzes past in a time that belies its thirty minutes. And with the jangly echo and carefully placed nod of tracks like “Ever Falling In Love” to fall back on, there won’t be too many bemoaning the lack of ear-bleeding fidelity.
Evolution is inevitable. Successful mutations will be bred into future generations, and, with Dancer Enquired , Time New Viking have their eyes firmly on the horizon.
Advised downloads: “Want To Exist” and “Don’t Go To Liverpool”.
~Dancer Enquired is out now on Merge with Polydor doing the ditribution in certain regions.~