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Album Title: Vampire Weekend Performers: Vampire Weekend Label & #: XL Recordings 318 Play Time: 34'20" Recorded: 2007/8 Anybody remember The Strokes? I didn't think so. As much as I enjoyed this album, I can't help but think that with the endless hype surrounding these guys, we might all but forget who they were a few years from now. I hope not as Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut is a clever amalgamation of Afro-pop and indie-rock. While there is nothing portentous or cerebral about Vampire Weekend, this disc with its catchy hooks and Afro-pop guitar sound ("Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" could be an outtake from Paul Simon's Graceland) is nothing less than a seriously fun listen. |
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| What these musicians might lack in technical chops they more than make up with wit and creativity. Occasionally I thought these four Columbia graduates came across a little too precious with tracks like "Oxford Comma" and their references to college life. However, I chalk that up to their age. Or maybe I'm getting old and cranky. I just wish my 15-year-old son would dig these guys instead of Slipknot or any of those other horrible metal bands he usually listens to. As for sound quality, it ain't bad nor great. Recorded in several locations, this album really doesn't possess a coherent sound. At least there is some dynamic range though and it certainly sounds far better than the most recent sonic excrement by REM and U2. I only hope that | ||||||||
| Vampire Weekend stick together, hone their chops over the next year or so and deliver an even better album in 2010. | ||||||||
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