Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend (XL)
By Matt Siblo
Published: January 22nd, 2008 | 8:35am
Vampire Weekend has become synonymous with a number of things: its Columbia University beginnings, an almost instantaneous popularity via Internet hyperbole, and a serious obsession with Paul Simon’s Graceland. After self-releasing a three song EP, all of which are featured on Vampire Weekend, the band was quickly snatched up by the label XL in hopes of capitalizing on its potentially fleeting blog notoriety. Vox-who?
Much has been made about the band's Brooks Brothers flavored subject matter, garnering potshot appraisals such as "khaki-core" and "dad rock." As a fan, I lament it. But as a listener, it is undeniable. A band, indie or otherwise, does itself no favors by incorporating lyrics about the misadventures and drudgery of Cape Cod twice within an 11 song, 35 minute album. If you are supposed to write about what you know, then Vampire Weekend stands as the definitive statement of four Ivy League twenty-somethings. Let Sasha Frere-Jones ruminate on the socio-economic implications, I’ve only got 300 words.
Vampire Weekend is a good introduction but a sizable disappointment for those previously acquainted. Those familiar with the band must skip to track five before hearing anything new, informally re-introduced with the harpsichord flavored “M79.” Named for a New York cross-town bus, its whimsical strings and art school ramblings capture the grime and magic of Central Park's fleeting ambiance from a graffiti littered window. It's an attention grabber, in the same manner that "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" conjures the relaxation of a sunny J. Crew obsessed summer vacation. Yet, "M79" feels like the albums greatest and only leap forward. The rest feels like a mixed bag, a rushed attempt to beat the backlash filled with half-realized ideas ("I Stand Corrected," "Bryn") and flat out misfires (the almost intentionally aggravating "One (Blake's got a new face)." Much like its subject matter, Vampire Weekend is rife with growing pains. What comes next, if anything, will be the real test.
Comments
Please login to be able to comment on this article.
more