Rating:  -
I'm a long time fan of the Vigilantes and am, once again, left stunned by the new sound Bill has conjured. This may, in fact, be my favorite album yet.
You get a good idea of what he's been listening to lately: Springsteen, The Beachboys, Wilco and a whole lot of other fun stuff. The product, though indebted to other musicians, definitely holds its own. The lyrics are inspired and inspiring, raw, haunting, a bit mysterious...and always provocatively insinuated into the music.
The album is great (timely, novel and somewhat nostalgic), and while it's sad that this is the last official release from the "Vigilantes of Love," it is by no means a parting shot for Bill Mallonee (a.k.a. the Vigilantes of Love). He has sense released three full-length albums entitled "Fetal Position," with much of the same sound you find on Summershine, though wonderful in its own right, "Locket Full of Moonlight," and "Perfumed Letter." If you like Summershine, then you most likely will enjoy the new ones as well.
Rating: -
I have written quite a few reviews and this review will probably get shuffled to the back of the other 18 reviews listed here but this cd is my Top Pick for cd of the year for 2001. I have not heard a better more consistent cd in years. The seventh song on the cd SOS is also my pick as 'song of the year". I'm literally addicted to this cd. One reviewer has said this is VOL's last cd. I pray he is wrong. If Bill keeps making music like this I will be eternally grateful. Just a little teaser, how many of you out there catch the ghost of Pure Prarie League in cut #2?
Rating: -
Since learning of VOL a little over four months ago, I have been acquiring and enjoying some of their older albums. Each one is different, some fiery, some somber. Little did I know that Summershine would be their last album, according to Bill Mallonee's new website.
Summershine is alternatively exhuberant and melancholy. Songs like "You know that" and "Galaxy" radiate joy and warmth. Others, such as "I could be wrong", "Puttin' out fires" and "It's not bothering me" seem playful. There are a few that seem oddly sad, such as "Along for the ride" and "Green summer lawn". "Sailors" is a dirge. All of the songs exhibit a perceptive lyricism coupled with memorable tunes. The songs are about important things: relationships, loss, what to keep and what to leave behind. Prolific songwriters tend to be uneven, but Bill Mallonee has offered up a varied menu of very good songs.
If you have never heard the music of VOL, this is a good place to start. Try it before this band and their music is just a memory.
Rating: -
This Athens, GA band was considered by many to be the next REM and while the critics love 'em, commercial success has eluded the group for some incredulous reason. Summershine is VOL's power pop offering and what an incredible release it is. Three words: BUY IT NOW! This is quite possibly the best band you've probably never heard before so drop the dough and put a big dumb smile on your face. --Roy (Atl., GA)
Rating:  -
The good news is that the first two songs, and the last song, are just about worth the price of the whole album. And there are some other good songs too. There were just a couple too many sleepers on this one for me. Others may not agree, but this was just the way I experienced the album.
If you want to hear Viggies at their best, pick up Audible Sigh, which is phenomenal.
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