ViV
Flawed
(Independent)
First Appeared in The Music Box, December 2004, Volume 11, #12
Written by Brad Podray
ViV has revolutionized music, and stores across the country, soon enough, will be forced to add sections specifically geared toward similar ensembles attempting to emulate the immense success of Coldplay. With its sophomore effort Flawed, the group has pushed the boundaries of conventional rock to create its own sub-genre: dull pop for married couples. For the most part, the album is full of slow, melodic tunes, all of which contain the same obsequious lyrical themes peddled by pop-rock acts, but unlike its idols, ViV lacks innovation within its song-writing scheme.
Each track on Flawed is sickeningly sweet, and each hook-filled chorus
is repeated, for better or for worse, just enough times to lodge itself within
the head of the listener. Taken at face value, Friends seems well-suited
for mindless jamming in the car while on the way to the beach, but within a few
moments it becomes grating beyond belief. Faring better are Suffer, which
demonstrates ViV’s competency at penning easy-going rock with soothing vocals,
and Green, which features some nicely chilled-out instrumentation as well
as backing strings that help to emphasize the emotional nature of the song. To
the group’s credit, it at least committed to a certain sound on Flawed,
which is more than can be said for a great many indie rock bands, but in the
end, its 9-track opus is utterly remiss of any sense of edge. Although shades of
something better linger within its songs, the list of ensembles more
successfully mining the same territory is lengthy. In other words, ViV’s strong
desire to be Coldplay doesn’t make up for its lack of talent. 
½
Of Further Interest...
Various Artists - Sounds Eclectic Too
Your Vegas - A Town and Two Cities
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2004 The Music Box