Indie-pop band TV Girl released their album “Grapes Upon the Vine” on Jun. 30, 2023. Over a year later, on Dec. 3, 2024, they released an album titled “Fauxllennium” with George Clanton. This new album gives off a fun, light-hearted vibe of a pleasant summer day, like coming back from the pool or the beach. Clanton is known for his distinct “vaporwave” or “future funk” style, which helps create this vibe around the album. However, some Tv Girl fans have critiques about “Fauxllennium.”

One of these critiques is how this new album does not sound like previous albums, such as “French Exit” (2014) or “Who Really Cares” (2016).These previous albums have a more polished, indie-pop sound that dives into more emotional or relatable themes like relationship struggles and physical or emotional long-lasting effects on people. Making their change of pace on “Fauxllennium” noteworthy and a bit different.

As a die-hard TV Girl fan, I disagree with the claim that their new album doesn’t resemble past work. While it differs from their popular albums, it shares similarities with older releases like “Maddie Acid’s Purple Hearts Club Band” (2018) and “The Wild, The Innocent, The TV Shuffle” (2012). These albums reflect the band’s early years, formed in  San Diego of 2010. These albums were more experimental, with lo-fi production and a rawer, more organic feel that had a more cohesive flow between tracks. Something that made their music distinctive and unique, especially with their sampling of 1950s and ’60s movie clips and “rap-like” verses.

Fans who prefer the emotional depth and polished style of albums like “Who Really Cares” may find “Fauxllennium” a bit of a shift, but the heart of the band’s style—whether in their earlier work or newer releases—remains consistent throughout all of their discography. Their sound is changing throughout every album, yet the distinctiveness of their identity is still intact, making it feel like more of an organic progression rather than a total departure from their original music style. 

In my overall impression of this album, it brings to mind their earlier works, which I truly adore. I have a preference for their more original, raw sound. My favorite tracks that embody this style are “Everything Blue” and “Fauxllennium”. They have more samples and repetition through beats, giving them an older sound.

In this album, I notice two main components of their composition: keeping their unique roots whilst balancing mainstream appeal. In their earlier days, TV Girl thrived on a do-it -yourself [DIY], lo-fi, sample-heavy aesthetic establishing a sound that was simple yet noteworthy. As they gained popularity with albums like “French Exit”, their style became more polished and sounded more like other typical indie bands, perhaps to appeal to a wider audience. With “Fauxllennium”, they seem to find a balance between these two worlds. As much as I enjoyed this album, it is not my absolute favorite of theirs, I wish it was longer and combined more elements from newer music of theirs, as well as older aspects. Finally, whether it’s a witty dialogue snippet repeating in the background or a melancholic line from a forgotten film, TV Girl continues to produce nostalgic-sounding songs and foster individuality that fans love in every album year after year.