Well well well. Vampire Weekend. Pretty good aren’t they?
It’s surprising how much of the press coverage surrounding Contra has focused on the issue of class. Vampire Weekend, in case you hadn’t noticed, are middle class. You might even want to describe them as (surely not?) upper-middle class. Defending the very notion of upper-middle-class-hood against god knows what anti-posh bogey has become the standard angle on the band. ‘They’re middle-class – and proud of it!’ scream the music press, with scarcely disguised glee. ‘They’re not afraid to wear preppy clothes, just like me!’ yelp public school kids up and down the land.
Let’s be absolutely crystal clear about this: there is nothing good about being middle class. If you are unlucky enough to be part of a class system, you should not brag about it, ever. If you are (like me) middle class, be proud of yourself, be proud of your many fantastic qualities, be proud of your beautiful and variegated personality, but do not be proud that you are middle class. Be ashamed, be left wing, and do something about it.
But as I was saying, Vampire Weekend are pretty good. With a vigour and a clarity that distinguishes them from their peers, they are the natural successors to the Strokes’ brand of refined retro-minimalism, only with added rhythmic sophistication, and even a hint of mild progressiveness thrown into the mix (although, in the main they are merely pastiching … sorry, being influenced by, artists a few years down the line – Orange Juice, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel – from the Strokes’ palette of Television, Ramones, The Clash). Their eponymous debut album of 2008 slayed all comers (myself included) with its timely afro stylings, its neo-classical arrangements, and its startling proliferation of sweet, sweet melodies. ‘Oxford Comma’ was the best. Read the rest of this entry »
