Vampire Weekend

iTunes Review

Ok, this might be a new one. Take one part chamber pop (violins, harpsichord, polyphonic arrangements), a dash of ‘80s new-wave/reggae beats (The Police, Talking Heads, English Beat), and the twinkle and pop of African hi-life guitars and drumming. the result is a band who is gleefully making distinctive-sounding pop music with clever lyrics, the pulse of which happens to come from a few global sources near and dear to the musicians’ hearts. Why not take Afro-pop and reggae and blend it with white boy dance pop? David Bryne doesn’t own the patent!  “Mansard Roof,” “Oxford Comma,” “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” and “A-Punk” are standouts, bubbly and playful and irresistibly twitchy. Others, such as “I Stand Corrected” and “Campus,” are a bit more restrained, and feel more mature and original. Vampire Weekend built up a buzz on the internet before releasing this debut collection, and now must live up to the scrutiny that inevitably follows the build-up. While backlash is always part of the process, this release should hold up just fine.