With “Ever Falling In Love,” the second preview track from Times New Viking’s Dancer Equared, it’s quickly becoming clear that along with a move to Merge Records, the Columbus trio have made additional, even more substantial moves — Towards pop and better fidelity.  No one will mistake “Ever Falling in Love,” for something shiny, well-produced, and radio-ready, but for those familiar with the band’s back-catalog, the change is striking.  For one, you can distinctly hear each recorded track and those tracks aren’t pressed high into the red.  The guitars have a jangly, kiwi-pop feel, while the melody has a Velvet Underground vibe.  Secondly, drummer Adam Elliot and keyboardist Beth Murphy are singing, not sing-screaming or screaming, and their tones are relatively clean.  Relatively is the key here, both in terms of their vocals and in terms of the song.  Elliot and Murphy’s lines seem only half in-synch,  and there’s some still a bit of audible hiss in the mix.  Ultimately, it all comes together, albeit in its own slightly slapdash way, as a sweetly, endearing pop song.

MP3: Times New Viking – Ever Falling in Love

Dancer Equared by Times New Viking will be released April 26th on Merge Records.