ViVii – Mondays

Mondays builds on Swedish band ViVii’s highly acclaimed 2019 debut record – and intercontinental tour – delivering a taste of fleeting escapism captured in studio sessions each Monday over the course of the last year. While the simplicity of these songs keeps them calm and atmospheric, the material can veer towards monotone; nevertheless, ViVii succeed at conjuring an idealised world of love and adventure over catchy harmonies.

A romantic and romanticised picture of past and future all at once, the record is imbued with the influence of Fleetwood Mac and the California coastline. Each track raises the curtain on a scene that’s sun-soaked – even where the energy shifts from idyllic love songs (Fool Alone, Summer of ’99) to a suggestion of tension, attitude, even conflict, like on the fast-paced Smackdown, the overwhelming impression is one of warmth. The chords are simple, but the imagery can be both specific and abstract. At times, as on the meandering Read Between, ViVii seem to be playing just as much with the phonic quality of language as with its meaning. 

From the evocative bass line, persuasive lyrics and playful harmonies of opener One Day to the grittier closing riff of Baby Be the Light, Mondays plays like a series of dreams: uplifting, fragmented and intangible. The benefit of having more than one strong vocalist in the group is that the most understated lyrics can carry an additional level of mystery – on tracks like Swimming Pool, subsequent verses build like a conversation overheard only in part, confirming little about the voices involved except that one of them has access to a swimming pool. Overall, though, the record is worth a listen track by track. ViVii have remained consistent to the 60s-pop-meets-modern sound they’re known for, and the escapism it promises can only be welcomed. 

Sylvia Unerman

Mondays is released on 21^st May 2021. For further information or to order the album visit ViVii’s website here.

Watch the video for the single One Day here: