Rock & Roll Report Card

  • Arts

A (87%)

A- (80%)

B (74%)

Beach House
Teen Dream

Sub Pop

I have a problem with the tendency to label Baltimore-based band Beach House as dream-pop. Yes, their tunes are melancholic and even eerily ethereal at times, but this categorization often leads to bands being written off as music for people who lie around in hammocks all day. It’s clear that Teen Dream, the latest offering from the duo, is about growth, exploration and shrugging off labels.

The long-anticipated album is scheduled for release Jan. 26 but has quickly been on the rise as one of the top leaks on the Internet. Beach House have consistently proven themselves as worthy of the hype, topping yearly charts since their self-titled debut in 2006.

The songs on Teen Dream aren’t sleepy ones (maybe using the word dream in the album title will work against them), but songs that tell a story enveloping listeners in harmonious, atmospheric and almost restless sounds of the night.

Most of the songs start slow and build accordingly, sometimes into noisy calls in the case of “Norway,” or reaching into an almost bluesy realm with the percussion in “Walk in the Park.” A highlight is undeniable in “Used to Be.” I was hooked from first listen with bouncing xylophones and harrowing lyrics asking, “Are you not the same as you used to be?” The opening guitar riffs of “Silver Soul” offer another dimension to the album, a piece that didn’t immediately catch my ear but captivated me after several listens. It’s safe to say Beach House has another hit on their hands with Teen Dream, an album I’m more than happy to stay awake for.

—Ally Hall

Vampire Weekend
Contra

XL Recordings

In the summer of 2008 people couldn’t get enough of Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut album. Suddenly, the four hipsters from Brooklyn were receiving mainstream attention. And then, inevitably, there was the backlash. Vampire Weekend became a bit of a punching bag. Suddenly people started questioning the so-called roots and inspirations of their record. Comparisons to Paul Simon’s Graceland are rumored to have made the band go insane.

Amidst all of the hype Vampire Weekend have released their sophomore album Contra—and unapologetically so. Vampire Weekend have stuck close to their main source of inspiration: afro-pop. This album is very much an extension of what they’ve started. They’re not attempting to do anything drastically different, which is commendable. However, this album is a bit more sparse and experimental—not appeasing the more melodically-pleasing songs that were huge hits on their first album.

Sticking to their infamously preppy subject material, the indie Ivy-Leaguers sing about diplomats’ kids, private schools and other fabulous things. Ezra Koenig’s voice is just as sultry and sweet as it was on the first record.

More noticeable this time around is the influence of classical music on the band. Rostam Batmanglij’s keyboarding lines are as catchy as they are complex. They borrow from a variety of different sources, thoughtfully—they’re thoughtful guys who make music that’s truly unique, at least to themselves.

Vampire Weekend may not be as abstract as Animal Collective or as trendy as The Dirty Projectors, but they will make you instantly happier. And it’s January—we all need that right now.

—Emily Whalen

Yeasayer
Odd Blood

Secretly Canadian

I hate to use MGMT as a yardstick for Yeasayer’s grading, but it’s a mass-recognizable band that’s apparently synonymous with the on-the-surface-hipsters of our generation.

If you take MGMT, amp up the musical experimentation, vary the sampled genres and heavily infuse the work with a psychedelic oozing, the musical image playing in your head will come close to Yeasayer’s new album, Odd Blood. Scheduled for release on Feb. 9 in North America by label Secretly Canadian, Odd Blood pulls you in with clear, powerful vocals and enough song-to-song diversity to appeal to an umbrella of listeners fom MuchMusic and Pitchfork alike.

Electronic tinges and the voice of lead singer Chris Keating make Yeasayer’s tracks recognizable as their own. The track “The Children” seems to be a nod to the sounds of progressive rock bands CAN and NEU! while track “O.N.E.” is far more pop-infused with a Scissor Sisters kind of feel. Overall, Yeasayer’s sophomore album is a good combination of musical genres past, sampling enough of the trippy and enchanting to create a mostly-unique sound and a list of tracks that flow. First there was MGMT, then Passion Pit; and now Yeasayer is bound to have their single “Ambling Alp” become just as known around Kingston pre-drinks, American Apparel shop soundtracks and Brooklyn haunts as Passion Pit’s “Sleepyhead” was in 2009.

—Kate Kilgour

All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Skip to content