Vampire Weekend : Vampire Weekend : Review : Rolling Stone

If you listen to much indie rock, Vampire Weekend are probably old news. Thanks to good press and a bunch of songs available online — an early version of this album surfaced in September — the New York quartet became one of 2007's most buzzed-about new bands. They're four ex-Columbia University students with a suave sound that incorporates ska, New Wave and Afro-pop — interesting enough for listeners looking for variation among their buzz bands, though not nearly as interesting as some press would suggest. On their debut, Vampire Weekend mostly earn points the old-fashioned way: by writing likable songs you'll be glad to revisit next month.

For much of the album, Vampire Weekend keep things simple: Songs like "Mansard Roof" are little more than slinky guitar lines, keyboard and string adornments, and caffeinated grooves. Ezra Koenig tosses off sweetly crooned melodies and lyrics that cut nostalgia and romance with a modicum of snark: "Campus" is a vignette about a college infatuation, though Koenig on another song also manages to make a strong hook out of "Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?"

As for the African thing, Vampire Weekend cite the blog Bennloxo.com as a source of current Afro-pop; one assumes that they're also well-acquainted with Graceland. They're smart enough to know there's a political dimension to Columbia kids borrowing from Afro-pop, and their appropriations seem fairly unspecific. Those appropriations are also tucked neatly into VW's sound: "Bryn" rides the kind of triplet-based polyrhythms both India and Africa could claim, but the tune is a love-struck thing Arcade Fire might turn out. Then there's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," the most Afro of the pop tunes here, with a conga groove and register-jumping bass lines. Koenig mentions Benetton. He sings, "This feels so unnatural/Peter Gabriel, too." VW may grow out of this kind of self-consciousness, but the song is warm and well-executed — just like most of their debut.

CHRISTIAN HOARD

(Posted: Feb 7, 2008)

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Give us your review of Vampire Weekend

Review 1 of 9

5of 5 Stars

Upon first listen of their debut I was absolutely blown away. I haven't been wow'ed by an album like this since The Strokes "Is this it". They have the catchyness of The Strokes with the experimentalism of Wolf Parade, which makes for the perfect combo in my opinion. I was skeptical about all the hype at first, but this band talks the talk and walks the walk. If you haven't bought this album go out and buy it immediately

Jul 8, 2008 22:09:23

Review 2 of 9

1of 5 Stars

one of the worst live bands I have EVER seen. so boring I wanted to leave after the third song. I knew drunken, dumbass frat boys in college who could play better than this. and yet such great press (bribery?) for such an awful, awful band. go back to Columbia and get post-grad degrees and live the rest of your lives just as boring as your music. Bore yourselves, not the rest of us.

Jun 12, 2008 14:20:13

Review 3 of 9

1of 5 Stars

Where are they now?

May 6, 2008 11:26:58

Review 4 of 9

3of 5 Stars

A bit over-rated. Sounds similar to Arcade Fire.

Mar 18, 2008 23:53:04

Review 5 of 9

4of 5 Stars

How a music reviewer can be so unmoved by such a good album is beyond me. Vampire Weekend's debut is chock-full of some of the most well-constructed pop songs and warm vibes I've heard from any band in quite a while. There is very little to dislike here...it's a 4-star album at least. You missed the boat.

Feb 28, 2008 08:01:21

Review 6 of 9

4of 5 Stars

Forget the blogs publicity, the agitation in
the press, the homemade clips recorded in the
city of love, well, forget all the hype created
around the boys. «Vampire Weekend», the LP that
opens the career of this band form New York, is
trully exciting.

The sound that travels through it ressembles a
wave of afro-pop dimension, following a punk
breeze, rided by a teenager Sting listening to
Talking Heads on a waterproof mp3 as he shows
us smart moves. «Oxford Comma», «M79», «The
Kids Don't Stand a Chance» or «I Stand
Corrected» are tracks that recall the
adolescence on its purest state, between
windows broken while playing footbal and
letters written to an imaginary girlfriend. A
vampire attack on a large scale that deserves 4
liters of sweet blood (in five).

Feb 23, 2008 08:20:22

Review 7 of 9

4of 5 Stars

One of the best albums and sounds I have heard in awhile, not since the strokes or bloc party have I been impressed this much with a new band.Vampire weekend is like the new beach boys for me, the sound is great and the tunes are all catchy on this debut album that is a must have.I can not wait to see there future work, they have alot I want to see and I hope they blow me away bigger with another album.

Feb 2, 2008 01:37:41

Review 8 of 9

4of 5 Stars

This album has a certian low-fi charm about it. The music is varied and consistently pleasing in my opinion. I can see why the critics were buzzing about it. Being horribly un-hip, this was my first taste of Vampire Weekend. I'm smitten, or should I say bitten?

Jan 30, 2008 13:00:57

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