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Vivian Girls
by
Vivian Girls Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 24 Ratings

  • Summary: The debut album for the Brooklyn trio is less than 22 minutes long.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. The A.V. Club
    91
    By the time the track 'Where Do You Run To'--and its echoing impersonation of Joy Division's 'A Means To An End'--shambles by, Vivian Girls morphs from a work of nosebleed pop into something icy and numbing.
  2. No Ripcord
    90
    Somehow, the 21 minutes spent with Vivian Girls are innocent and punctuated by brief moments of euphoria that make this debut more than worthwhile.
  3. Prefix Magazine
    90
    They reproduce, even with simple materials and simple words, complex emotions and ideas. And at the same time, they just make you want to sing, freak-out, and play beach-blanket bingo in a basement.
  4. Magnet
    80
    Like their English ancestors, the Girls deal almost exclusively in exuberance and wonderment, making found squalls and rattles sound like their own. But that might have more to do with the copious amounts of reverb echoing through the album’s best songs.
  5. AllMusic
    70
    The sound of three people ripping through hooky tunes without regard for pleasantries and taste is one of the joys of rock & roll, and Vivian Girls do satisfy on that account.
  6. Dusted Magazine
    70
    Though far from perfect, they flit by in an instant, all washes of trebly guitars and nervous vocals that leave enough heartwarming traces to warrant subsequent returns.
  7. Sputnikmusic
    50
    Working at breakneck speed, Vivian Girls is sloggy, hampered by the cloying feeling that the lo-fi shtick is simply too on-the-nose.

See all 15 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 5
  3. Negative: 2 out of 5
  1. ChileH
    Aug 8, 2009
    10
    This is an amazing album! To dislike it because it gets praise is entirely stupid. Every song on here is addictive and will be running This is an amazing album! To dislike it because it gets praise is entirely stupid. Every song on here is addictive and will be running through your head all hours after a few listens-and this is a good thing. Get this. NOW.… Expand
  2. JeremyF
    Oct 27, 2008
    5
    "Tell The World" is the only amazing track. It really is incredible. But as for the album as a whole, it's rather boring. These girls "Tell The World" is the only amazing track. It really is incredible. But as for the album as a whole, it's rather boring. These girls are not untalented, they just made a boring album. I mean, play the first like 1 or 2 seconds of each song in succession, in they all start with the same sounding, same-tone guitar. It gets too samey.… Expand
  4. timE
    Sep 11, 2009
    5
    Shoegazing and twee are my favorite genres and I go crazy for all girls groups so I don't know why I wasn't swooning over this Shoegazing and twee are my favorite genres and I go crazy for all girls groups so I don't know why I wasn't swooning over this record. I expected to be blown away since it has everything I like about music but the singing is really bland. You can't tell the singers apart. They actually sound really bored when singing kind of like they're the female versions of Stephen Malkmus lacking emotions and passion behind their music. It's also similar to early Raveonettes before they actually started SINGING where they might as well just be humming to the music instead of attempting to sing. Really disappointing.… Expand
  5. STeGoo
    Oct 11, 2008
    3
    Talulah Gosh, Strawberry Story! I enjoy the late eighties/early 90's lo-fi but it has been done before and with greater return. I Talulah Gosh, Strawberry Story! I enjoy the late eighties/early 90's lo-fi but it has been done before and with greater return. I dislike Vivian Girls because of the praise and interest people seem to be giving this release. I cannot understand why every reviewer doesn't hear the Talulah Gosh/strawberry Story complete impersonation.… Expand
  6. MikeF
    Aug 25, 2009
    2
    Lame, boring, over-hyped. there is barely half an album here in terms of length, and none of it is particularly memorable. Then again, I Lame, boring, over-hyped. there is barely half an album here in terms of length, and none of it is particularly memorable. Then again, I don't go for the whole genre of bands who suck ostensibly on purpose.… Collapse

Awards & Rankings

81
#81 Best Album of 2008