Review: Velocity Girl's '¡Simpatico!' (Loser Edition)

Two years ago Sub-Pop released a long overdue reissue of Velocity Girl's first album, Copacetic. While simply getting that album back on vinyl would have been a big enough deal for fans, the package also included a bonus disc of B-sides and other such oddities, redesigned cover art, extensive notes from band member Archie Moore, and most significantly, a pretty radical remix. Moore had always been disappointed by the album's atmospheric yet muddy 1993 mix, and by brightening it up and drawing out the details, he helped UltraCopacetic to become that rarest of classic record birds: one that actually became better after a remix. 

Review: Velocity Girl's 'UltraCopacetic'

When Maryland's Velocity Girl came shimmering out of Sub Pop with their debut album in 1993, Bob Weston's wall-of-noise production couldn't hide the gleeful melodism of the singles "Crazy Town" and "Audrey's Eyes" (and if this song doesn't automatically force you to picture Sherilyn Fenn in saddle shoes, you and I might have trouble relating to each other), the squalling "Pretty Sister" (my personal fave), or "Pop Loser", which is totally pop despite a lyric mocking those who sing la-la shit. And no group in that lo-fi scene had a singer like the opera-trained Sarah Shannon. Burying her clarion pipes way down in the mix couldn't hide that either.