Local New York indie rockers The Virgins have exploded onto the subcultural scene recently, propelled by their self-titled debut, a spot on the Gossip Girl soundtrack and an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The group has built a huge internet following as well. Frequently described by the bloghouse as ‘the feel good’ Next Big Thing, The Virgins have a more approachable aura, as opposed to their contemporary, fortunate predecessors - Ivy Leaguer pop quartet Vampire Weekend and trust-funded post-2000 rock revival act The Strokes. Critically, their LP is pretty good, but nothing revolutionary, falling short of the positive blog buzz. Stylistically, they're kind of like the Von Bondies in a sense that their album is uncohesive - they have yet to truly define their sound. The Virgins use the album to try out different styles ranging from the Smash Mouth-esque album opener ‘She’s Expensive’ to the Coldplay meets State Radio’s ska riffs in the catchy love-and-death tune ‘Fernando Pando’.
Despite the spread of critical approval for the debut, the album is a grower, so those who are unsure of it at first will eventually be won over. A great band for a wide range of audiences, The Virgins land somewhere in between, delivering a solid four out of five star album that’s trendy enough for New York hipsters, but accessible for the mainstream audiences as well.
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