Chances are, if you’ve been reading any kind of indie blog over the last couple weeks, you’ve heard the name Vampire Weekend. With all the hype surrounding the band, I was sure I was going to be disappointed by their January release Vampire Weekend. But, as much as I hate to subscribe to the whole Pitchfork hype, the album is a solid chunk of music, especially for a debut LP. I don’t know if I really buy the whole “Afrobeat influence” that has been cited as one of the band’s defining characteristics (along with the fact that they’re all from Columbia University, indietastic!) but their music is a mix of Sunset Rubdown or Architecture In Helsinki pop antics (though definitely more subdued), vocal yelps and croons akin to Maps And Atlases, impressive and eclectic drum beats ranging from tribal bongo beats to poppy snare and cymbal combos, and reverb-caked bursts of guitar, organ and bass reminiscent of The Strokes. Take “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” for example, an undeniably catchy mix of bouncy guitar and bass, backed by a tribal tom-based drum beat or “I Stand Corrected,” whose echoing piano, volume swells and rhythmic drums never fail to get me tapping my foot. The album has an incredible amount of variation, all while retaining a distinct sound and flow. So check out their debut Vampire Weekend and stay tuned to see if they succumb to the sophomore slump (Bloc Party, anyone?)
Don’t feel their music. However, Bloc Party’s last album (especially with all the B sides floating around) is hardly to be considered a sophomore slump, AFAIC.
I didn’t care for it personally. Just opinion I suppose.
Absoloutley fantastic.
I suppose It helps if you have a diverse mindset.
It’s the kinda thing that I’m proud to like.
Me and my grandparents listen to it in the car.
Which other band can you do that with?
Reminds me of a cross between Elvis Costello and The Animal Collective.