Search - Velocity Girl :: Velocity Girl

Short, but sweet, sweet little gem

Adam Rickards | Las Vegas, NV United States | 04/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Velocity Girl's debut EP is actually composed of two years worth of indie singles. During the time theses songs were recorded, there was a change in singers, and that is noticeable here. "Not at All" and both versions of "I Don't Care if You Go" were sung by Bridget Cross, who would soon after join Mark Robinson's seminal indie band Unrest. Sarah Shannon takes over lead vocal duties on "Forgotten Favorite" and "Why Should I Be Nice to You?" (Cross's voice is the more girlish of the two) Archie, one of the guitarists, does lead vocals on "Always."It goes without saying that all of these songs are gems. "I Don't Care if You Go," with its great bassline and catchy chorus, sounds a bit like a Pixies homage (this is made even more evident in the surf-rock guitar solo). "Always" sounds like an indie rock take on My Bloody Valentine. The guitar sound on the short, punkish "Not at All" foreshadows the one that Smashing Pumpkins would use a year later on their second album Siamese Dream. The real winners here are "Forgotten Favorite" and "Why Should I Be Nice to You." The former has an intro that is instantly memorable, and the enveloping guitar buzz perfectly envelopes Sarah Shannon's warm, rich voice. It's truly a pure gem. You just have to listen to it. The apex of this collection is "Why Should I Be Nice to You?" It starts of with a jangly, R.E.M.-like guitar line before crashing in to more guitar distortion during the chorus. The great thing about this song is that Archie and Sarah share lead vocals and even harmonize together. This song pretty much sums up everything found on this album. Velocity Girl's early material was probably their best, so if you're looking to get into this band, you should not skip this release at all. It's another case of a great band going unheard. Viva Velocity Girl!"

Worth it for the nascent version of a great band

Adam Rickards | 11/23/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With a demo-like sound quality, this EP doesn't exactly do this what would be a great band any real justice and some easily disposable numbers with it don't exactly help. But the acoustic and electric versions of "I Don't Care If You Go" highlight the fuzz pop phenomenon that VG would become. And of course, there's the classic "Forgotten Favorite" which years later made its way to the "Clueless" soundtrack and a television commercial. Although incomplete compared to the monster follow-up of "Copacetic", this is essential for the early ringings of what the band would become."