Sampling: Vampire Weekend

VAMPIRE WEEKEND
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
XL Recordings 2008

by Nick McGregor

Riding a wave of Internet hype into 2008, the four lads of Vampire Weekend could seemingly do no wrong on their much-anticipated self-titled debut. Combining angular indie rock, uplifting Afro-pop, and a hint of chamber music into the self-proclaimed “Upper West Side Soweto” subgenre, this quartet charts cheery and melodic territory often untouched by melancholy indie musicians. And while the inclusion of off-kilter drums, majestic harpsichords, and beautiful string instruments make this debut album soar at times, the lyrical subject matter often clashes with the exceptional musical arrangements.

That’s not to say that lead singer Ezra Koenig doesn’t pull some clever punches. The breezy “Oxford Comma” brings an upbeat urgency to an otherwise staid grammatical subject, and “Mansard Roof” makes architectural discussions sound exotic and even sexy. But on “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” Vampire Weekend’s most talked-about track, Koenig fumbles through an extended metaphor of sandy lawns, having sex, and, inexplicably, Peter Gabriel. Likewise, the sweet little indie ditty “Campus” may take you back down college’s memory lane, but the simplicity and repetitiveness of the lyrics make it a fleeting pleasure at best.

Luckily, Vampire Weekend saves face on the excellent “M-79,” which conjures up Paul Simon’s “Graceland” period, with Koenig’s singsongy loose talk mimicking and (dare I say) even improving on Simon’s landmark sound. Likewise, the fractured sadness of “I Stand Corrected” lets the band join timeless company, with the track’s swirling keys and lovely strings hearkening back to The Smiths and The Cure.

While Koenig can be faulted for playing up the luxurious life he and his bandmates lead (they all hail from Manhattan and attended Columbia University), there aren’t many other rock bands singing about Louis Vuitton, the Hyannis Port “ghetto,” cuff links, and vacations in Old San Juan.

Vampire Weekend’s debut barely breaks the 30-minute mark, but it does pack enough of a unique and well-crafted punch to prove this foursome is for real. And hey, if these guys want to celebrate Peter Gabriel and his early-’70s art-pop with Genesis, well, no one else is muscling in on that racket. We’ll just have to wait and see how Vampire Weekend handles its sophomore slump.

(You can catch Vampire Weekend opening for The Walkmen at Cafe 11 on Saturday, March 8th.)