Velocity Girl came up in the DC suburbs at the turn of the 1990s, part of a wave that swapped hardcore's rigid template for feedback, jangle and proper tunes. They had several people who could write, which meant the songs stayed sharp even as the lineup shifted. This collection pulls together their first three years: singles, split releases, compilation tracks, a couple of unreleased cuts.
Bridget Cross sang on the debut single before leaving for Unrest, and her version of "I Don't Care If You Go" is here alongside the better-known take with Sarah Shannon. "Forgotten Favorite" remains the standout, all chiming guitars and wistful melody wrapped in distortion. The covers show good taste: Beat Happening's "Tales of Brave Aphrodite" gets a noisier reading, Paul Weller's "That's Entertainment" stays close to the original. The acoustic version of "I Don't Care If You Go" strips the fuzz away and the song holds up fine.
Newly remastered by Timothy Stollenwerk, so the low end is fuller and the noise sits better in the mix. If you know Velocity Girl only through their Sub Pop records, this fills in how they got there. If you collect early-90s indie pop with an edge, you likely already want it.
