Velvet Crush had already made something of a critical splash with 1992’s In the Presence of Greatness, after Rolling Stone called it “the year’s most addictive masterpiece.”
So, here was the prescription for the follow-up Teenage Symphonies to God, which followed on July 5, 1994:
– Ditch the former guy-of-the-moment, Matthew Sweet (a personal friend of Velvet Crush, it was said then). Add underground wunderkind Mitch Easter, perhaps best known as the producer of R.E.M.’s early records – and for some great, though criminally overlooked records with his group Let’s Active in the ’80s.
– Then, rework Teenage Symphonies to God through the lens of Easter’s knowing eyes.
The results were, in many ways, far greater than In the Presence of Greatness, as this adventurous pop Rhode Island trio ran the gamut from (the expected) Byrdsy guitar feel to (wow, man) a kind of post/post-punk rave up ala Television.
There remained a certain depth in these tunes, but far more range in textures and tempos than before. The guitar sound is quite porous, the drumming crazed but never out of control. Sure, you could say Velvet Crush swallowed whole the music of Big Star, and maybe all of the mid-’60s. Yet, it’s not overly derivative.
Easter helped them attain an ageless form, even while Teenage Symphonies to God retained a modern edge. Like their name, Velvet Crush manages to be both soft and hard – a striking balance for a band so young.
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