2010 ∙ Barsuk ∙ Chamber Pop
So your drummer and songwriter dies after recording your debut album. It’s met with decent, and deserved, accolades. It’s like Vampire Weekend Jr., but much more lush. What do you do for your follow up? You turn down the pop (cuz the dead guy was the “hook” man) and up the lush. In fact the first track on the album lacks both hooks and drums, but has some serious strings. It’s almost a tip of the hat of where they’re headed. Heavy but meandering bass lines and violins and cellos and plucked guitar top lead singer, Wesley Miles’, affected annunciation and layered vocals. The drums are certainly not thundering as they duck in and out of the side percussion and form a similar backbone as other “intelligent” music. This album and its fey beauty will piss off anyone looking to rock out, but the orchestration and multiple listens will make those porch swing moments much more enjoyable. For those who love Vampire Weekend, this is their older, more mature brother. Lemonade optional.