Strike Gently by The Virgins

 8/10 
 Rated:Music is my Radar 

After 5 years from their debut album The Virgins are finally back and with the same enchanting concept but more mature. Althought Donald Cumming ,vocalist, is the only original member, apparently,the style stills the same.

A little less Pop and a bit more rough is the key the album has to be the complement to previous album and to keep the joy that caracteriza the band.'Prima Materia' the first track in the album has plenty of what you are about to hear, vintage beats, rock and roll,dance punk and lots of fun.Is a dose of old school amusement à la mixtape, with unexpected things but on the same line and taste, resembles first album but with a more grown up style that at some moments gets sad-ish ,specially at the end, but preserve a entertaining melody in a more ironical mood like in 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Amelia' .

Fast and soft tracks make the album have a punk/rock sensation but not savage, it's more a love, peace,pleasant sound but doesn't take off the fun because it has the perfect amount of decontrol and craziness. Gleams of 80's bands like The Police,even from Wham!, and influenced by jazz the tunes acquired a breezy relaxing sound,for example 'Impressions of You' and 'Travel Express (From Me)', which is accompanied with powerful memorable guitar riffs and all  fits so well because it has tiny bits of everything at the right time.

So many will talk more about the record label they signed for, Cult Records,Julian Casblancas, The strokes etc. but record talk itself and that not created a mayor effect on the style. In a very party spirit,mostly,listen 'What Good is Moonlight', the album takes a slightly different direction than the single released last year 'Venus in Chains',sadly not included, the band show a sort of California alter-ego, but without leaving the New York essence aside.

Recommend: Prima Materia;Flashbacks, Memories, and Dreams;Figure on the Ice;What Good is Moonlight,The Beggar