Times New Viking
Born Again Revisited
(Matador, 2009)

I didn’t initially know what to make of Times New Viking’s newest record, the perhaps misleadingly titled Born Again Revisited. I’ve always been a fan of the band; I really like the way their melodies are so abstractly laced under such heavy walls of fuzz. That’s what they do and they do it well. But for some reason, this newest one initially seemed overtly repetitive, all of it washed together in a sonic onslaught of hard-to-hear vocals and barely discernible chords, cloaked heavily under that thick, thick coating of distortion.

But then I went back and listened to their past records, which I hadn’t spent time with in a while—2005’s Dig Yourself, 2007’s The Paisley Reich, and 2008’s Rip It Off—and was promptly reminded that this is exactly the signature sound that defines Times New Viking. And while, in other cases, I may find that tiresome (the same formula approached the same way), there’s also something uplifting about a band that stays true to the roots that define them. I’m forced to ask myself why I’d even expect them to move beyond that abrasive, lo-fi distortion when they haven’t suggested they were ever interested in doing so.

The trio that makes up Times New Viking seems to stay pretty true to themselves, though I say that coming at it completely from afar, because I’ve never personally met them. And it’s possible I feel this way because they are from Ohio, and I’ve never met a person from Ohio that I didn’t like—seriously. Beth Murphy, who plays keyboard and yell/sings somewhere underneath all that fuzz, is totally cute but never adheres to any cheesy hipster look or marketable frontwoman ideal. Maybe that Midwest foundation plays a role in a strict adherence to their own status quo—they don’t seem willing to bend their look, direction, or sound to conform to current trends or evolutionary tendencies. I wonder what would happen if they moved the band to Brooklyn? How would they be affected by the pervasive music culture and abundance of indie-rock neighbors?

Times New Viking, having landed a spot on the coveted Matador Records roster, has clearly made it to an upper echelon in the unspoken hierarchy of indie success, so it’s not like what they’re currently doing hasn’t secured them accolades already, both critical and otherwise. Would they be alienating fans if they withdrew some of the distortion, or would they garner a new level of allegiance if they were able to pull it off? Truthfully, I’d like to see them veer away from that comfort zone, and hear exactly where a bit of exploration could take them. I’d like to see them turn the vocals up just a bit, flesh out some melodies, maybe extend a song or two into a noisy guitar jam. In Born Again Revisited, the tracks are short and move brashly into one another, although the songs’ (and album’s) brevity is essential in such a washed-over collection. Such highlights as vigorous opener “Martin Luther King Day”, the brisk “City on Drugs”, subversively poppy “No Time, No Hope”, and the male/female harmonies on the catchy “Move to California” work to craft a collection that is cohesive and quite consequential when viewed within the entirety of what’s happening in music today.

So, Times New Viking? Stay in Ohio, please. Keep your lineup intact. Continue to tour small venues and continue to direct your craft right up into that sonic realm of aggressive distortion and masked intent, keep rocking on your instruments and yelling under the noise. If you dare to stretch it anywhere else, I’ll listen with keen ears, but if you decide to stay just as lo-fi and uncompromising as you stand today, you’ll still always be cool to these ears of mine.

Listen: Various Tracks [at myspace.com]