Best Track: A-Punk, Oxford Comma
Worst Track: Bryn
Vampire Weekend’s newly released self-titled album has garnered substantial indie acclaim despite its short existence. The band, consisting of Columbia University graduates, claims to be influenced by African pop and western Classical music.
Their songs take on a pop formula associated with indie artists Peter Bjorn & John, Voxtrot, and Matt Pond PA. However, what distinguishes them from the rest is lead singer Ezra Koenig’s energetic vocals coupled with African inspired beats. Songs like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” illustrate the band’s characteristic driving beats varied with the use of bongo drums.
With their vocals and consistent drum work in sync, they rely on simplistic guitar rifts to captivate their fans. The guitar hooks perfectly illustrate their philosophy, “less is more,” which is also seen in bands like The White Stripes. Although they do take on a minimalist approach to their guitar work, their keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij layers a few songs with chamber pop undertones. Demonstrated best in “I Stand Corrected,” the band takes full advantage of their instrumentation by crafting a full-fledged baroque-pop song in just under three minutes.
Clocking in at 34 minutes and 20 seconds, Vampire Weekend manages to incorporate a variety of influences without dragging the album out with excess. In essence, the album is a lucid pop journey that fades before its novelty wears. With a balance of African inspiration and formulaic pop, there are no unwarranted surprises. This leaves you with a delicately crafted album that’s as simple as it is enjoyable.
- Michael Ghassibi
Vampire Weekend - "Oxford Comma"
http://stereogum.com/mp3/Vampire%20Weekend%20-%20Oxford%20Comma.mp3
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