Born Again Revisited by Ohio trio Times New Viking is the kind of record that will no doubt make aging hipsters across the globe go all gooey inside. Full of guitars that are way too high in the mix, Beat Happening-esque keyboard tinkles and slogans that are shouted at inappropriate times, it’s an album that slackers of a certain generation will clutch to their chests for the next six months or so. All well and good you might think, but the problem this reviewer has is that it just sounds so old-fashioned.
‘Martin Luther King Day,’ ‘2/11 Don’t Forget’ and ‘No Time, No Hope’ all recall the likes of Sebadoh, Jonathan Fire*Eater and Sonic Youth in some shape or form and we’re left feeling that perhaps these supposed “outsiders” should find their own sound. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Beth Murphy’s vocals on the title-track and ‘Little World’ bring back fond memories of Bikini Kill and the two fingered salute of ‘I Smell Bubblegum’ has the perfect amount of sneering. But after 30 minutes it just starts to sound contrived. As you’ll gather, I am not entirely convinced.