A week has passed since the new record by Vivian Girls came out. When they announced they were reuniting and putting out a new record in July this year, I felt the same excitement a kid at Christmas gets. This was my kind of Christmas. I finally listened to the record in full today, on repeat. I’ve got a lot of thoughts and feelings about the record, every one of them is positive of course. Having a band that you’ve adored for so long come back and come back with this kind of record makes everything a little bit better.

 Memory is a record that us Vivian Girls fans are going to just obsess over. However, if you’ve never listened to their music before; allow yourself to have your mind blown and your soul soothed. Vivian Girls are good for the soul, and they have truly excelled themselves on their fourth record. Every record of theirs has this gorgeous and gentle atmosphere, and Memory keeps that up. The songs are made for lazy days, and to give you some hope when you feel a bit hopeless and alone. They give you this feel of sunshine on your bones even when it is murky outside. They make you feel like you are away from where you are. It really is an exceptional record that was worth the wait. 

It is a hypnotic lo-fi record that if you’re already a fan of the band, just reinforces your love for them. If you’re new to them, it’ll make you feel like you’ve known them all your life. They have kept that same eerie and haunting tone, mixed with sun-kissed sounds that ease you. They have perfected this sound, and they did so just over a decade ago. How they’ve done it now just makes you feel like you aren’t slipping into a wave of nostalgia, no chance. They make you feel as if you have grown with them. Lonely Girl is the song that has swam right into my heart and choked me up. Everything about this song gives the listener comfort and some form of safety.

At the moment, I will certainly take safety from music because I think it’s what I need. I cannot cope with my Gran’s death at all, and I need something to just take me away from it all for a while- I’m using this record as the most beautiful form of escapism I can find right now. The song feels like a sunset, with gentle waves hitting the rocks on the beach. It is comforting in unconventional ways, and I’ll take that.

I love the heaviness in Sludge. It is just over 2 minutes long, but you cannot help but keep going back to it for when you want a lesser dreamy sound. It feels like something from a film. A film scored by Vivian Girls would definitely have my attention. They have never sounded so good, and it’s not just because we’ve missed them. Ali has been one of my favourite drummers for so long, and on this record, she has developed a more distinctive sound, and that flows so beautifully into Cassie and Katy. They are just the most perfect band, and I’m just so pleased that they have made this record. It was the right time, we really needed it. We’ll always need this band.

If I could drive, this would be the kind of record I would go on long drives to as the sun sets and the road becomes more and more desolate. Cruising into the unknown with Vivian Girls as my guide. It sounds perfect. On the other side of this, they make you feel like you’re on an L.A. beach just watching the world go by. I’m Far Away is again another song to have on repeat. Over and over. The best way to listen to this record is often, and constantly hitting repeat. Play it in order, then play it however you want. Obsess over certain songs, then play another. Go into it however you want once you’ve played it in full- it still flows beautifully. However, I just need to mention that All Your Promises is the one that you should always end your listening on. There is something about it that makes you feel like this is the song that just MUST hear last. It’s got a finality to it that is just so pure; I can’t get enough of it. It is truly a masterpiece. A real Vivian Girls masterpiece. The artwork kind of sets the mood in a way- you feel like you’re in a whirl of hazy sunshine- with the purples and deeper shades of blue leaving you in awe. A late summer’s evening with music for company.

 Aside from the Memory sounding divine, the production on this is out of this world. It is a record that has been made with a lot of love, a lot of care and a lot of thought. They haven’t just made this record for the hell of it. I think they needed to make it as much as we needed the record. It’s a sentimental record, and you just cannot get enough of it. It’s such a light and feel-good record, there are absolutely no fillers- just gorgeous moments to fall in love with, over and over.

Like I mentioned, if you’ve never listened to Vivian Girls before then dive headfirst into Memory then work your way through their discography in whatever way you want. You can be traditional with It, or you can be a little rebel- it’s all on you. As someone who has been hugely in love with this band for nearly 10 years, I can honestly say that this is their best record.

 It’s s lo-fi gem full of songs to just feel utterly free to. Let go and listen.