Velocity Girl Albums (3)
'Gilded Stars and Zealous Hearts'
Release Date 3/12/1996
Tracks 14
Label Sub Pop
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
LP #3 for this fine D.C. quintet is a disappointment. This writer usually loves good, strong production, so the hiring of Cliff Norrell, fresh from his inspired mixing work on Catherine Wheel's Happy Days and R.E.M.'s Automatic For the People, sounded perfect for V.G. Instead, Norrell's taken the spunk out of them. The sound is not too glossy, or dull, or plodding. It's just too perfect, too streamlined, too clean, transforming a promising indie outfit into just another pop group, like a million faceless others. The group's long-standing virtues, its modesty, it's love of pop craft, it's amiable nature, are all here, and Gilded Stars should be a fine effort, but it lacks the old edge. "Gilded Stars" and "Same Old City" should be world-beaters; instead they're world-wearies headed toward easy-listening oblivion. That these songs came to life live, recently, points the finger at a confining production job. ~ Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The problem with Copacetic was the dingy production, so for Simpatico, Velocity Girl hooks up with the Smiths' first LP producer John Porter. Flaw corrected. Perhaps too much? Some have expressed the opinion that Porter has neutered them somewhat, and indeed, the rawer edges have largely been relinquished, but so what? They sound great now, much tighter, more convincing, more together. Constant touring has obviously toughened and synchronized them, so credit them for a lot of thankless, hard work. Simpatico, at the least, is a three-times-better version of their first LP, which is the small flaw now -- they don't seem to have enlarged their scope much, still clinging to the chiming guitar version of the Wedding Present meets the Shangri-La's they started with long ago -- remember when My Forgotten Favorite was on so many of our turntables? And the problem with narrow scopes is that some of the songs just aren't going to click as much as the better versions of the same thing. But if they aren't going to change their sound, or to a lesser extent, their style; at least they can keep getting better at it, and that is the case, so there are more big delights. "Drug Girls" has a sharp chorus, and the best song, "Rubble," adds a New Order bass and acoustic. "Hey You, Get Off My Moon" at least attempts a slow ballad, and "What You Left Behind" and the single "Sorry Again" are big-time hooky. Porter seems to have worked Sarah Shannon into singing stronger and more firmly. It's time to move on, but for now, there's plenty to enjoy. ~ Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Although Velocity Girl never made the major-label leap of bands like Belly or Veruca Salt, it certainly wasn't for lack of talent. But it is difficult to imagine their first proper album, Copacetic, with anything other than indie-label production values. It's essentially a post-shoegazer update of R.E.M.-ish jangle pop, which covers two of the most popular reference points in early-'90s indie pop. What makes Velocity Girl stand out is their songcraft and the way they constantly play with the balance of that equation. Sarah Shannon's girlish voice and sweet melodies are often wrapped in fuzzed-out white noise that simply wouldn't have the same effect if it were polished up. However, the band doesn't rely exclusively on it; some numbers trade the wall-of-noise guitars for straight-up collegiate power pop, but more often, they shuffle back and forth between the two extremes. As a result, perfect three-minute pop singles sit comfortably next to up-tempo rockers and dreamy, blissed-out slow numbers. Sure, the band is derivative of its influences, but those influences are smartly reassembled in a way that's both typical of its time and very well-executed. And, with its shifting balance between melody and noise, lightness and haze, Copacetic is the album that best encapsulates Velocity Girl's appeal. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
