Album Reviews:

Vampire Weekend: Contra:

Although,at first, I sort of preferred the instantness of their first record this one is much smarter. Far more experimental (or should I say reaching), they have matured since their last venture. ‘Giving Up the Gun’ is my favourite of the singles and I was pleasantly surprised to see Jake Gyllenhaal in the video. The boys have a new found confidence in their own ability and it really shines through. A strong hopeful it will probably be in my top 10 of the year. A

Spoon: Transference:

I instantly liked this if only for it's instrumentals. A little more depressive than some of their earlier work—it's kind of refreshing. The only album of theirs that, really, merits much praise is ‘Kill the Moonlight’ which was a great album. It's hard to like these songs based on the lyrics—the melodies are cold and bleak. I do like Daniel though as he kind of speaks to me in a way—he's tormented by his own reluctance to relax. A sort of unintentional depression which he battles throughout the 11 tracks. Not long enough to continue my attention and not catchy enough to cause any major affections but I'm interested in what it stands for. A−

The Flaming Lips: Embryonic:

Wow, the first good CD from one of the most annoying bands in history. They loosen up on their prog-rock tradition a little and allow a more direct output. Although I still find everything about this band annoying it is a surprising effort considering their track record. The meaning behind each of the tracks is just made-up hipster trash (a la Animal Collective). It would still be stupid even if their was meaning. Maybe they should have consolidated the tracks? A−