Velocity Girl
Ultracopacetic
(SubPop)
In an attempt to look back to the
early 90s without revisionist goggles, I am remembering that with their bright
and exciting 7” singles, Velocity Girl
had become a favorite band and a reliable go to. I’m pretty sure that I had mail
ordered all of their singles as they came out and even splurged to collect
their Slumberland Records pillow
case. Once I learned that they were
signed to the Pacific Northwest’s own Sub
Pop records, I remember being pretty excited. Strange that I cannot remember how I learned
of this information. I mean nowadays, it’s
difficult to not know about the dealings of any music artist one follows, but
back then, how did we access this news?
It’s like that strange realization that I used to be able to find various
locales, unassisted, just by glancing at an address. These days, I feel lucky to find the outside
without navigation. At any rate, once
Velocity Girl’s debut album, Copacetic,
arrived in 1993, it failed to make the expected impact. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, but for
reasons I could not fully grasp, it didn’t land the same way as their prior
work. The singles, like “Crazy Town”
with its undeniably infectious chorus, the cowbell-laden “Pop Loser,” and the
rush of “Audrey’s Eyes” are all VG classics.
I’m certain that my attentions, experiences, mild variations in taste, and
mood during this time contributed to my lackluster reception and I’m sorry to
say that my broken jewel-cased copy got shelved rather rapidly.
As a collector of music, I am one of those frustrating (frustrated?) nerds who has fallen into the trap of spending all of my earnings (and more) on every possible release a favorite band or greedy record label presents. We’re talking those 90s era UK import singles that would include a double CD single (sold separately, though one might have a collector’s case), a 7”, 10”, and 12” single – all with unique B-sides. Then there are the box sets, best of collections, reissues, and anniversary editions (am I painting a vulgar enough picture yet?) that I would be enticed to collect because there is supposed to be a previously unreleased demo dangling like a carrot there-in. Like a recovering addict, over the past twenty or so years, I’ve tried incredibly hard to refrain from continuing to fall prey to these urges.
It was with a bit of skepticism that I approached the release of a remixed and remastered version of Copacetic, and yet here it is and here I am whole-heartedly recommending it. As I said before, there is nothing wrong with the original version, and it is still going to remain intact as is, but the absolute no frills original did not fully capture the special essence of Velocity Girl’s strengths. One might wonder if, because of the time period where “selling out” was quite possibly the biggest possible sin and career killer in indie music, that the original mix was so dry and frankly uncommercial. It did not present the warm glow of their catchy melodies, and it smoothed over their dramatic noise dynamics. Thirty years later, band member, Archie Moore, has remixed the LP and seamlessly adjusted the mix, and it is now the album that I had always wanted!
These subtle changes are evident immediately. The songs sound like they have more room to breathe. The powerhouse opener, “Pretty Sister” feels more dynamic with its alternating feedback-laden foot stomping jams and Sarah Shannon’s vocals, which are mildly pushed more upfront throughout. The title track was always a standout, but here it’s a revelation, while the prior murky “A Chang” has been transformed into an oddly complex juxtaposition between 80s Midwest/DC postpunk and a 4AD Records abstract experimental/atmospheric sound.
I’m so happy with this release. This is the Velocity Girl that I originally fell in love with, and not to be missed are the added bonus of the B-sides and session outtakes (so happy to hear the “Warm/Crawl” single again!), along with five songs from their 1993 Peel Sessions. Cheers to Ultracopacetic!! This will likely spark a collector nerd relapse.
(https://velocitygirl.bandcamp.com/album/ultracopacetic-copacetic-remixed-and-expanded)
I really enjoyed reading this, Chris! Took me right back to those awesome, raw 90s indie moments. Although I do really like what they've done with the mix, the old version still holds a special place for me - as Copacetic opened me up to other raw lo-fi sounding 90s indie rawk - I think of Slant 6 in particular. I didn't love the polish that later VG releases had as it felt like they had indeed "sold out" - and I pined for the lo-fi Bob Weston sound of the original Copacetic. Great read, my friend!
ReplyDeleteOh, the note above is from Simon, haha. Thanks for tuning in last night - seems really appropriate now that I closed the show with the Peel sessions version of Copacetic.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts Simon! The remix has certainly opened up my ears to what became a lost album for me! I definitely have a new appreciation for the original mix as well.
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