Times New Viking
Rip It Off
(Matador)
Scrappy. Distorted. Occasionally frustrating, yet insanely catchy and exhilarating. That is how this Times New Viking album (the band’s third but first on Matador) can be summed up in 10 words or less. And such brevity is probably how TNV would want it, since the band blazes through 16 fuzz-laden tracks in just over 30 minutes. In every sense, Rip It Off conjures up happy memories of hearing Superchunk for the first time and endlessly listening to JMC’s Psychocandy—where concise melodic songs and beguiling guitar hooks are honey-drenched in glorious feedback and clipped recording levels.
Dave Hayden
This article appears in Jun 12-18, 2008.