They’ve been the only band without an album to be shot for the cover of Spin Magazine and the word is they’re the best band 2008 has seen yet. Do these baby faced 20-somethings deserve all the hype the media is giving them? Well, who knows what the year will still bring us but does this new band certainly has validated any possible critical acclaim.
It’s as if both Paul Simon’s Graceland and The Strokes’ Is This It secretly had crushes on The Walkmen’s Bows + Arrows but unexpectedly hooked up with each other instead while they were high on ecstasy. Ladies and gentlemen: Enter Vampire Weekend.
To be honest, when everyone started talking about Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut album, I quickly dismissed the idea of purchasing it merely because of the band’s name. Little did I know, their music is the furthest sound you could get from emo or gothic. When I finally heard the first single, “Mansard Roof,” I was taken aback by the members' ability to orchestrate smooth melodies over simple but bold beats and then top all layers off with vocals that have a trace of Julian Casablancas. Like Belle & Sebastian, Vampire Weekend has appeared out of thin air as the new accessible but non-excessive pop.
Although it looks as if they’ve just stepped out of a J.Crew ad, these Columbia graduates are completely aware of their Ivy League stigmas and allow the lyrics and music to speak alone. This band is not ashamed of their education and just as hard as they worked to put this band together, they almost boast their highly literate skills in their songwriting.
Koenig had spent the previous summer traveling through India and touring America as part of another band while Batmanglij interned at the Oxford English Dictionary as he studied film scoring downtown. Coming back together, they decided to put together something worthwhile that would include their love of African rumba and Western classical music. With Ezra Koenig (vocals/guitar) majoring in English and Rostam Batmanglij (keyboards/vocals) majoring in Music, they decided to officially form a band at the end of their college years along with Chris Baio (bass) and Christopher Tomson (drums). Vampire Weekend is full of insightful songs that wittingly reveal the story of their lives both within and outside of Cape Cod and Manhattan.
Article comments
1 - Jon
Great review, here. I'll be reviewing it for this site, too, shortly, if I get my act together.
The Graceland comparisons are undeniable and I do agree with the Strokes comparisons, as well, but the vocalist still has a truly unique voice at other times and I think "A-Punk" is the least Strokes-sounding song on the album, though some of the music on other tracks sounded reminiscent of tracks I've heard on the Strokes' albums or that of Albert Hammond, Jr.'s solo stuff.
I liked the Peter Gabriel nod, too and of course the Lil' Jon reference. I can't wait to see how they follow this up and I'm looking forward to seeing them at Bonnaroo in June.
Great job once again on the review. I saw a lot of the same things you saw and you also brought to my attention some things I hadn't thought of. Good stuff.
2 - Seraphina
Thanks, Jon! I look forward to reading your review.
3 - Charlie
Great review, but just an editing note: you might want to get rid of the word "does" in the last sentence of your first paragraph. Also, I don't have the whole album but I saw VW perform "A-Punk" on one of the late night shows (Letterman, I think) and then SNL (already!) and my first thought was that these guys must be a lot of fun to see live - that's probably what made the buzz about this band spread so quickly. Good stuff indeed.
4 - Seraphina
I completely agree, Charlie. Thanks!
5 - zandretta
I'd just recently saw some live footage of these guys,and its a very entertaining show.
I would have liked to have seen a little more on niche side of things,but thats personal tastes(we just don't have enough vampires bands out their.)
great music,fairly hooky,great review.