She Wants Revenge - Valleyheart

I've always liked She Wants Revenge. Yes, they sound like Interpol. Yes, they're dirty. But the music has always been catchy and so I've found enjoyment in the band.

The band's third full-length, Valleyheart, is a departure in sound from the band's first two albums. And I say departure lightly. The music is similar but the feel is really different. She Wants Revenge always had a great sexually driven driver. Lyrically and musically the band created this great sexual tension. And while that sexual tension was lessened on the band's second album, This is Forever, it was still present. On Valleyheart it's gone.

That's not to say that Valleyheart isn't a good record. Just that it's different, almost sweet. Take the World has some dark undertones and creates a nice texture for the record to come. It's a hint of what the band has done in the past but clearly points in a new direction. Kiss Me is a super upbeat love song. Up In Flames has a familiar feel with a swing vibe.

Where the album really plays with my head is the first single, Must Be the One. It's an absolutely fantastic song, but it's so different for She Want Revenge that I had to listen to it twice my first time through the album. Not Just a Girl is another solid pop song. Reasons is another song that flirts with the band's old sound without fully engaging in that sexual tension.

It took four years for She Wants Revenge to follow up This is Forever and the band matured a lot. Valleyheart is really different but still She Wants Revenge and it's still a great record.