I don’t really get it. I grew up in New York. Not just New York, but Brooklyn. That’s where all the cool kids are, right? But I’ve never been profoundly influenced by African music the same way that all the new New York-based internet sensations have. Maybe that’s why I’m not in a band (my lack of musical talent has nothing to do with it, I guarantee you).
Following in the heels of bands like Yeasayer, Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut was officially released today (in actuality, it is the same thing that made the rounds last summer, just with strings now). The Columbia grads classify their music as “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and “Upper West Side Soweto,” and are undeniably preppy. As such, Vampire Weekend tells us that they “don’t give a fuck about an Oxford comma,” and that they think “Hyannisport is a ghetto.” Certainly, that’s not what the indie rock landscape is used to. But while its probably impossible for Vampire Weekend to match the hype ascribed to them, the album certainly shows why there is so much hype in the first place.
Every song on the album, from opener “Mansard Roof” to closer “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance” is ridiculously catchy, and with the possible exception of “M79,” every song is too much fun not to listen to. They brush up against jam band territory, but stray away just enough with an Afro-beat influence to make them pretty damn irresistible. The standouts on Vampire Weekend are “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” “Campus,” and “Walcott.” None of these songs do anything particularly different from the others (except for maybe Walcott, which relies more on a piano than the rest of the songs), they’re just the catchiest. If you are looking for some variation, “A-Punk” is, as the name implies, a little faster, and has a slight punk edge to it, and “I Stand Corrected” is slower, building up to the loud “I…Stand…Corrected” chorus. But picking just one song to listen to is a fool’s errand; you really can’t go wrong with any of them (again, except maybe “M79″).
The album is ripe with the opportunity to be overly pretentious, but it really doesn’t get there. Instead, it’s just an album that’s a whole lot of fun. With all the hype though, a backlash is inevitable. After all, how long can a bunch of hipsters listen to music that proudly calls itself preppy?
Label: XL Recordings
Release Date: January 29, 2008
Rating: 8.5/10
4 Comments »
I genuinly like Vampire Weekend and am oh so proud of the number of refrences to my beloved hometown in the songs however albums a bit reptitive (how many times can you make a preppy, catchy song with “African influences”…apparently 11 times, as shown by Vampire Weekend) but I just have to defend M79. its one of my favorite songs on the album…give it a chance!
So, i’m already officially sick of hearing about this band.
Wow, that didn’t take long, did it?
m79 is the best song on it. so there.
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Comment by Sam E. — January 31, 2008 @ 10:35 pm
I’m really liking what I’ve heard of this band so far.