The Littlest Viking is a two piece math/emo/punk band from Whittier, California. The band achieves their uniqueness by meshing together the sounds of American Football, Don Caballero, Piglet, Toe, and Hot Snakes. Their live show is one of kind especially since it often features tambourines, ridiculous drum fills, wicked tapping, hoarse shouting, noise freakouts, salsa beats, and the occasional Prince sample. They have toured the United States multiple times and played showcases at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival twice. Over the years they have played shows with bands like Mock Orange, Joyce Manor, Owen, FIDLAR, and Signal Hill.
The band just released their third full-length album ‘Feelings & Stuff’ at the end of 2018. The album was released on their own record label called Farewell, My Little Viking Records. The drums were recorded by Ben Moore (Drive Like Jehu/Rob Crow/Hot Snakes) at Singing Serpent in San Diego, and it was mixed by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven). Their two previous full-length albums, ‘Labor & Lust’ and ‘Self-Titled’, were released on the now-defunct Mountain Man Records out of Long Beach, California. After just releasing ‘Feelings & Stuff’, the band is currently looking to play as many shows as possible and spread the word of the band and their music.
Starting off with tons of energy, the fast-paced drum beats get your toes tapping well before you even make it through track one of ‘Feelings & Stuff’. With rich guitar riffs and velvet-like crooning, track two has an emo vibe to it that I really enjoy. Just when you think you might know what turn this band is going to take, they step out of the box and give you something different that is unexpected. In track three (the title track), the band took a sharp left turn and switched to punchy, hoarse shouting vocals.
The next five songs are my picks of the album. Track four is my favorite. It is a bit slower and feels somewhat spacey with smooth vocals and lyrics that feel like they came straight from the heart. Track five brings back more of a beat but keeps some of the spacey feel in parts. The vibe stays similar with track six with emotional vocals and intricate drum beats. The guitar paired with the low vocals of track seven is one of my favorite parts of this album. It gives off such a sentimental and heartfelt vibe while building emotion seemingly effortlessly. The guitar intro on track eight is great. This song has a more fun feeling to it. It is one that will get you to tap your toes and maybe even get you to sing along.
By this point of the album I learned to expect anything. The energy picks up some in track nine. The vocals are a bit hoarse and rough but not shouting. Track ten is darker than the rest of the album. It still has upbeat parts but it is gloomy too. Once track eleven starts, the energy is nearly back to where it started at the beginning of the album. With catchy sing along lyrics, this song feels like one that would be a lot of fun at a show. The album ends with another surprise. Track twelve is a bit of everything. There are some fast-paced drum beats, some crooning vocals, some shouts, and everything else mixed in. These guys are rhythmic and experimental all the way through every single song. There is nothing left out of place. Everything blends perfectly to create a cool sound that is definitely different. Overall, this band seems like they are out to entertain and they have most certainly accomplished that with ‘Feelings & Stuff’.
