VPI Harmony

by Mood Rings

Overview

Mood Rings opted for a higher-fidelity sound on their debut album VPI Harmony than on Sweater Weather Forever, and the time spent streamlining their approach paid off: the album takes dream pop's hallmarks -- wispy vocals, shimmering guitars, and inventive percussion -- to stylized, euphoric heights that leave a more lasting impression than the work of many similarly gauzy bands. On former single "Pathos y Lagrimas," Will Fussell repeats fragments of desire and heartbreak ("I miss you the best") in a breathy sigh over instrumentation that's swooning nearly as much as he is. It's easy to hear why Mood Rings have been championed by Deerhunter's Bradford Cox, since VPI Harmony often recalls his group at its most feathery and delicate, particularly in the way "Come Lay Down in Lined Arrangements" hovers and crashes and how "Hollow Dye (Defected Crystal)" makes the most of Fussell's shivery falsetto. But making too much of the band's connection to Cox does Mood Rings a disservice, since there are many other facets to their music on these songs. "Minor Slaloms" gives the rhythm section a workout as it moves from frantic, angular pop to trippier passages, while "The Line" puts a surreally glamorous twist on dark '80s synth pop. The band even returns to the more straightforward sound of Sweater Weather Forever on "Promise Me Eternity" and "Get Lost," both of which recall the Smiths and C-86 in their jangly bittersweetness. Songs like these help anchor the album's farther-flung moments, but even the wildest flights of fancy feel more like exploration than dabbling. Held together by its oddly luxurious feel, VPI Harmony blends its many sounds and moods into a remarkable debut. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	06/25/2013
Label:	MEXICAN SUMMER
UPC:	0184923114621

Tracks

1. Dark Flow
2. Pathos y Lagrimas
3. Come Lay Down in Lined Arrangements
4. Perusha
5. Minor Slaloms
6. Promise Me Eternity
7. The Line
8. Exorcised Painting
9. Hollow Dye (Defected Crystal)
10. Get Lost
11. Charles Mansion

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mood Rings   Primary Artist
Al Carlson   Saxophone
Christopher Alley   Bass
Peter Cauthorn   Drums
Seth Bolton   Synthesizer
Tim Gratz   Guitar
William Fussell   Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Synthesizer

Technical Credits

William Fussell   Group Member
Al Carlson   Engineer,Mixing
Patrick Canaday   Composer
Allen Taylor   Artwork
Mood Rings   Composer
Christopher Alley   Group Member
Christopher Brooker   Mixing,Engineer
Dan Wakefield   Mixing,Engineer
Kyle Sherrill   Composer
Peter Cauthorn   Group Member
Riley O'Shaughnessy   Photography
Seth Bolton   Group Member
Tim Gratz   Group Member
Vladislav Yarushin   Cover Art
Joe Lambert   Mastering