Rebelling against the second-album slide
Jan 19, 2010 Boys With Guitars, CD Reviews
Vampire Weekend
Contra
XL Recordings. 10 Tracks.
Rating: 4½ stars (out of 5)
Of all the bands in indie-pop’s recent freshman class, Vampire Weekend seemed destined to be voted most likely to suffer a sophomore slump. As energetic, amusing and catchy as the 2008 debut by this Big Apple foursome was, it was also perilously gimmicky. Read the rest of this entry »
Woomble’s slightly belated (and, as ever, unsolicited) top 10 albums of 2009
Jan 5, 2010 CD Reviews
10. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
The third album by these Brooklyn-based indie darlings loses the plot a little in the middle, but the high points are exhilarating. Mixing pop classicism (dig those Beach Boys harmonies) with the avant-garde ‘tude that defines the music scene in their home borough, the Bears have concocted a sound that’s as hummable as it is intricate. Top tracks: “Southern Point,” “Two Weeks.”
9. Franz Ferdinand – Tonight Read the rest of this entry »
Libidinous, literate dance rock from Scotland’s cheekiest combo. Released in January of ’09, Tonight still sounds like the sexiest party on the planet a year later. Why the irresistible singles “Ulysses” and “No You Girls” didn’t storm the Top 40 with the force of their biggest hit, “Take Me Out,” is an exasperating mystery. Get these songs a Timbaland or David Guetta remix, stat!
