Album Review: Vikings by New Politics

2015 was a pretty good year for Danish rock band New Politics. There was a lot going on, what with the Wilderness Politics tour (with Lolo and Andrew MacMahon in the Wilderness) and the release of their third studio album, Vikings. Vikings is a more personal album for David Boyd, Soren Hansen and Louis Vecchio, as they explore the roots of their musical career. Check out our track-by-track review of New Politics’s Vikings below.

1. “Everywhere I Go (Kings & Queens)”
   The kickoff track and first single off of Vikings is the kind of anthem those of us who grew up in the early 2000s were raised on. It’s rebellious and cocky — much the spiritual successor to songs like “The Anthem” by Good Charlotte and “Fat Lip” by Sum 41. Sans wrist sweatbands.
   BEST LYRIC: “This one’s for everyone who said I’m nothing / This one’s for my friends who don’t give a fuck / So if you don’t give a fuck sing”
2. “West End Kids”
   The second single off of Vikings is also an anthem, but whereas the first is playful, this one is more serious and nostalgic. It’s about their days back in Copenhagen before they left their loved ones to pursue a music career in Brooklyn. Bonus: the video is pretty awesome.
   BEST LYRIC: “We are the voices you never heard / We are the fire you never let burn.”
3. “Girl Crush”
   A fun, playful tune about a guy who’s in love with a girl who is interested in another girl. It has some questionable lyrics, but it’s catchy and fast.
   BEST LYRIC: “I’m about to show you / Psycho candy voodoo / Take it to the bathroom / Bang bang bang bang bangarang”
4. “Lovers In A Song”
   A mysterious, meandering track about the end of a relationship that lives on in a song. The languid guitar sound marks it as a bit of a departure from their normal sound, but it works.
   BEST LYRIC: “I’ve seen Memphis Mama’s waiting by the back door / Saw London rain wash out a Brooklyn night”
5. “15 Dreams”
   Going back to the topic of their careers, “15 Dreams” is about frustrating, inspirational moments that happen while you’re waiting for your big break. It’s rhythmic and hopeful, one of the strongest songs on the album.
   BEST LYRIC: “I’m just a man living in a machine / Trying to make a dollar out of fifteen dreams”
6. “50 Feet Tall“
   “50 Feet Tall” is a fun, raunchy track about an irresistible groupie who proves to be a mistake. It’s the catchiest song on the album where the verses build to the choruses in a big way.
   BEST LYRIC: “No drug can buzz or ruin like she does / Playing with the lollipop she’s twerking on my bus”
7. “Pretend We’re In A Movie”
   A good old fashioned love song, one that I could see fitting in pretty well on mainstream radio. It’s about wanting to be with someone anywhere and everywhere, using allusions to cliché rom-com scenarios to do so.
   BEST LYRIC: “My nuclear world / Full of cars and girls / Crashing out on a wave / I’m waving goodbye to kerosene skies”
8. “Loyalties Among Thieves”
   This one is another declarative song, though with a more chaotic, angsty sound. Bonus points for the Bonnie and Clyde reference.
   BEST LYRIC: “We are the young heart attacks / Full of ‘I’m never ever gonna come back’ / And there’s no loyalty among thieves / Except for you and me”
9. “Stardust”
   “Stardust” — a slower song for New Politics — is a love song that uses a lot of imagery in order to pledge to always be there for the other person. I find the musicality of this one overdone, but I find some of the lyrical choices interesting.
   BEST LYRIC: “Our ship is stuck in a bottle / Let’s break the glass tonight”
10. “Aristocrat”
    This is a song I’d like to go back in time for, mostly so I could have it featured in an episode of Gossip Girl. It’s a fun, fast-paced song about dating someone above you, class-wise. This curse-filled fairy tale is one of my favorite songs on the album.
    BEST LYRIC: “‘Cause you’re a rich bitch, and you’re super bad / With your black lips, and your taxicab / I’m a quick fix, for the shit you lack / Dirty porcelain, sick aristocrat”
11. “Strings Attached”
    The chaotic sound of the album’s finale serves as a throwback to the earlier sounds of the band’s first album. It’s fast, it’s loud and it’s all about freedom. It goes quiet for about ten minutes (something about closing songs I will never understand), then comes back with a short electronica section. This callback to earlier, messier New Politics times is a good way to tie together a more experimental album.
    BEST LYRIC: “We all screw up but I deserve a chance / I want to kiss you on your face”

Vikings is the perfect third album for New Politics — they’ve calmed the chaos in their sound, allowing for some more complex, personal songs to shine through. Slower songs still aren’t their strong suit, but their faster, fun tracks more than make up for the weaker ballads.

Album Rating: 7/10.