- A FRIEND OF MINE recently made the following observation about Ezra Koenig, the founder and lead singer of Vampire Weekend. “Did you realize,” he asked, “how Ezra has lately became a sex symbol among grad students?” Good for Koenig, who is a boyishly attractive pop star; bad for post-grads like us who can’t sing and who are fast approaching middle age.
When critics resort to calling you ethnic imperialists due to yoour music, you're likely doing something right. When they say, your music and lyrics are boring and without merit, you're in trouble. Nobody could ever say the latter about VW. One idiot reviewer said the former. Modern Vampires is one of the best albums I've heard in years. It's been a long time since I've heard an album that I will gladly listen to all the way through, twice in one sitting. I find it to be virtually without flaw. It toggles so many lines for me. It's almost too produced, it's almost too portentous, it's nearly to sparse at times but it never is any of those things. They flirt with dangerous topics and sonic execution ie. auto-tune and hard-panning and it's brave. They do it all thoughtfully where most bands do it carelessly. It's a bad-ass album. I'm a fan, now more than ever.
...And now I have to listen to Modern Vampires.