Record Review: Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong

via Ragged Words
By Daniel Greenwood

This time last year Vivian Girls released their self-titled debut to general surprise and applause on these shores. The so-called ‘Noise revival’ in North America lent few ripples to Europe’s banal mainstream, where the break-up of Oasis is a grave occurrence. Bands like Times New Viking and Eat Skull are nothing names here, whereas fellow alt-guitar clangers Vivian Girls tuck neatly inside a Guardian reader’s indie quota. What makes Vivian Girls likeable is in part their quaintness and good looks, but really it’s the songs that do the work. From Vivian Girls, ‘Tell the World’ is witty and emotive, and ‘I Believe in Nothing’ marries a strong harmonic melody with a nihilistic mantra. That debut has a lot to say for itself, it’s honest and loveable.

Speaking to Ragged Words last December, the band were eager to get back into the studio and have their second record out the following September, their first with Ali Koehler on drums. So, September rolls around and Vivian Girls’ sophomore work is here. But maybe the desire to fully-initiate Ali on tape has been to the detriment of the songs.

Everything Goes Wrong feels rushed in a way that’s unlike the rush you get from Vivian Girls. ‘Tension’ is perhaps the highlight, with a hint of The Mamas & Papas in the vocal harmony collapsing behind Cassie Ramone’s tremulous Interpol impression and Ali’s gusting cymbals. Hole are of interest here, this record could have sounded like Live Through This, though these girls are too young to write a record like that, or at least not as experienced as Courtney Love. ‘Walking Alone at Night’, ‘I Have No Fun’ and ‘Can’t Get Over You’ pick up where Vivian Girls left off, and it’s a really strong sing-along opening to the record. One intentional change in the structure of the songs is the addition of Hardcore gestures three-quarters of the way through some of the later tracks. ‘When I’m Gone’ disbands from its form and delves into faceless crashing. These attempts to give the songs more depth in length don’t work so well. It’s not necessarily filler, just a trio of fledgling musicians finding what works best.

In life, everything does go wrong in one way or another, most of the time. But it has to before it can ever be alright again. And if it hasn’t worked so well for Vivian Girls this year, you can be sure it will – maybe this time next year? Everything Goes Wrong will certainly do for now.