LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMP Sound |
by Blair Fraipont |
CD: Vampire Weekend Group: Vampire Weekend Label: XL
The music this former Columbia undergrad foursome professes to be making is "upper west side Soweto." You'll hear semblances and scraps that can be traced to African music for sure, though more like heavily diluted soukous if anything. The locale proves to be the stronger influence, as Vampire Weekend is chock full of references to the stuffy New York neighborhood. It is befitting that they practice the adage of sing-what-you-know. The name-checking and sartorial nods work in favor of their bright, guitar pop styling, though the imagery of wealth limits their appeal and deny them the right to cultural and critical necessity. This is the only real shame about this record. But, for a band who claims to meet up to go shopping at Lacoste, relevance may not be an issue. When singer and guitarist, Ezra Koenig rhymes Louis Vuitton with Reggaeton and Bennetton in "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" about an unlikely summer fling, I thought it was a tad too much. However, I was captured by the short, clean guitar lines that are reminiscent of ska, but punctuated with a harpsichord-like flourish. The romantic dance the singer experiences is the closest this gets to a Congolese hip shake. The appropriations are presumptuous, but leave the album unscathed. If Vampire Weekend so wished to sound closer to real soukous or Soweto they should ask their drummer to play a defter card. His playing, though enjoyable, is too hard-hitting to conjure any real comparison. Also, the guitar lines, often melodic, are too simple, punchy and punk to work. The overall success of their sound can be attributed to the band's sense of timing between lyrics and music. There is room to take in the enjoyable melodies and rhythms before being presented with songs about Oxford commas, mansard roofs, and Provincetown summers. Like the Upper West Side, Vampire Weekend is a safe bet and a tad uptight. Blair Fraipont lives in New York City. E-mail him at blairfraipont@gmail.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 18, No. 04 May 02, 2008 |