Sunday, April 17, 2011

The Virgins: The Virgins

In your face low-brow hipster white trash and proud of it, The Virgins can't help but put a smile on your face. When asked "Are you really going to call yourselves The Virgins?" they were like "yeah, that's who we are, we're The Virgins." That's kind of the attitude that this band brings to the table, nothing to prove, nothing to lose, they are just in it for the fun (and possibly the money). As it was released to great critical reception, I guess this attitude kind of works out.

There's not a whole lot to say about this kind of music, with song titles like "She's Expensive" and "Rich Girls", its pretty clear that their music is pretty much about girls, drugs, girls, fucking around, fucking around with girls, etc. One thing worth pointing out is that these songs are also rather short, the longest being a little over 4 minutes long (not counting the final song which has a hidden track). There's nothing wrong with that, but sometimes I feel like some of these songs end too soon. A lot of these songs have very good basslines, so good in fact that the remixes aren't very different from the original song. Lastly, I have to say is that if you're really into lyrics that are very "deep" and "eye-opening", then this might not be for you: To give you an idea of what to expect, the very first line on this album is "ROOM SERVICE MOTHERFUCKER!!"

1. She's Expensive
A fairly good opening. Both this and Private Affair have a "sudden opening" that really works well for this album. The lyrics give you a really good idea of just who The Virgins are and the beat and bassline is really good. I wouldn't say that this is the album's best song, but I see why its the first song, you get sort of an idea of what to expect.
2. One Week of Danger
Now take everything you know about She's Expensive and throw it out the window, this is the REAL Virgins. "I want her legs, her body, and her cash"-like lyrics, a driving chorus, strong steady (but driving) beat, among other things, this is a great tune.
3. Rich Girls
Their most popular single, this has been remixed quite a bit by other acts. Good steady beat, a catchy chorus, and high vocals really make this a good tune. The funky beat makes good dance-floor filler. The spoken-word interlude is fantastic, I don't know how they make it work, but they do.
4. Teen Lovers
Not sure what to say about this tune. The chorus is very flowing (for a Virgins song) and they shift focus from guitars to keyboards. I like the funky bassline, but something about this song just doesn't seem to work well with the Virgins sound on the rest of the album. I also don't  like how it ends so abruptly; this song seems very out-of-place.
5. Fernando Pando
I don't like the beginning very much, but it gets better once it gets going. The back-and-forth style of the beat and melody, however, just doesn't help the song at all. The parts without instruments are really boring and out-of-place when between parts that do have instruments. This song's best part is towards the end, it seems like The Virgins need a guitar or two to get a good tune out there.
6. Murder
The best part of this song is the beat and the interlude is cool, I love how it wraps up with a simple "fuck it". For the verses, I don't have much to say, but the ending is great. That driving "all-together-now" feeling really works for this tune.
7. Hey Hey Girl
The song really gets going around the second verse, the very simple drum beat is great, its a good way to get your head bobbing when you have a beer in your hand. I don't really like the chorus so much, but I really like how they gradually add more and more instruments throughout the song. The interlude however, is the low point, it seems out of place.
8. Private Affair
My favourite song, I love how it just kicks off right out of nowhere. Maybe its because it has such a good chorus. Half of the song has a strong, steady beat and the other half is driving and flowing. The interlude is done well this time around and it transitions very well into the last chorus.
9. Radio Christiane
I really like this song. It has a lot riffs that are very catchy, way more so than the actual lyrics. The a capella is also done well, perfectly positioned in the song. My only big complaint is that its too short and ends very abruptly.
10. Love is Colder Than Death
I like the beat, bassline, and the lyrics (sort of), but the actual melody is rather weak. The interlude just doesn't work and the chorus is very weak. This is my least favourite song and that's not good at all for a final track.

Not a bad album. Not the best album of 2008, but it was fun when it came out. I'd say its a pretty average album and definitely at least worth a look if you're into the New York sound.

Rating: 6.4

25 comments:

  1. cool post! sweet blog, followed!

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  2. wow, track by track review, very nice

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  3. I guess trying to make these guys feel bad by calling them Virgins isnt gonna work xD

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  4. Just listened to them. Not bad at all! Kudos on the track by track.

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  5. "Hipster" here. I like The Virgins. Not my favorite, but they're a lot of fun. Excellent review too!

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  6. Funny how a negative attitude can make things funny and interesting.

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  7. virgins - the internet is full of them

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  8. they should get attention with good music not an intriguing name

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  9. I am listening to Rich Girls on youtube right now. It sounds pretty good.

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  10. I thought it was gonna be 'bout lack of sex.

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  11. This name could make or break them I guess.

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  12. I'm a big fan of the hipster white trash as long as they are being all they can be.

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  13. that was some weird combination of things, very interesting.

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  14. I like it, I also like your review, I've never seen a great review on a whole album like this before, thanks.

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  15. yeah, people who have the attitude of winning usually draw attention no matter what

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