TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2008
Given the groups Ivy League pedigree, one might expect long-winded dissertations concerning who knows what, exactly, out of recent XL Recordings signees, Vampire Weekend. Instead, the bands debut full length plays like precious post card pop; one side beaming in picture perfect musical snap shots of Cape Cod, Khyber Pass, New York City, Old San Juan, and South Africa; the other sketched in Ezra Koenigs semi-legible, lyrical scribbles. High society escapades, beach house grope and grabs, carefree campus time, and pointless punctuation (Who gives a fuck about an oxford comma?)
Sifting through such collegiate concerns might draw a few sourpuss sighs and oh to be young eye rolls from a slightly older crowd. But everyone deserves their youth
especially when it sounds this good.
Opener Mansard Roof sets the pep, bopping about to skittish snare drum rhythms and cute as fuck casio tones. Its straightforward and simple
an uncomplicated formula the current crowd of indie elite seem to be moving away from. But therein lies the appeal of these prep pop darlings. Over the course of giddy little ditties like Oxford Comma, A-Punk, and Campus, Vampire Weekend embrace a clever and clear cut approach, and when cultural undertones do manage to creep in under the fold, its never for the sake of showmanship. On both the Graceland inspired Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, and call and response shimmy One (Blakes Got A New Face), the band pairs funky, understated bass lines with syncopated drum circles for a well-rehearsed, afro pop leaning. Then there are the tell tale signs of NPR upbringings. On M79 and Walcott dainty, polyrhythmic puzzle pieces get slice and diced by energetic cuts from a pocket symphony.
In the end, Vampire Weekends debut is worth the hype. Sure, they may come off a bit sloppy, even slightly cocky, on record. But the whip smart ideas at work here make a definite mark on the memory. Prepare to pepper this bit of magic into your rotation for quite a long time to come. David Pitz
