Discovery - LP (XL)
3/5
The main criticism that has so far been levelled at LP, a bit on the side for Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot synth players Rostam Batmanglij and Wes Miles, is that it doesn't sound like their respective bands but more like a couple of middle-class white kids making piss-take r 'n' b. Yes, it does and is, but it's also a side-project. It's not meant to be a profound marker in the history of popular music, a bastion against which all music of a certain type will be judged for decades to come - it's just a couple of young men taking a break from their day jobs and having a bit of fun.
And you know what? It is fun. If you came at most of these tracks knowing nothing about the people who made them, you'd certainly consider giving them further spins. The production feels rushed at times, as if it's not taken seriously (which I can't imagine it was), and this can mean things descend into a blurry haze of drum machines and chiming effects (such as the otherwise sweet 'Swing Tree'), but for the large part of the half-hour it's a rather pleasant ride.
If you gave 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend' to a more high-profile star, beefed up the vocal lines and handed it out to top 40 radio stations it'd be one of the hits of the summer. 'So Insane' sounds like a long-lost disco smash of the 80s leftfield, and 'Osaka Loop Line' showcases a lyrical aptitude you're unlikely to find on the next T-Pain release. Rostam's songwriting ability is certainly something the prep-punk of Vampire Weekend could utilise to stop their sound becoming stale, as showcased on exuberant opener 'Orange Shirt', and the beats, particularly on the creeping 'It's Not My Fault (It's My Fault), are very proficient indeed. In fact, the one moment that VW bandmate Ezra Koenig muscles in with a guest vocal ('Carby') is where the record begins to lose it's element of calculated spontaneity and become a chore.
Yes, LP sounds like The Lonely Island, and yes, it's highly unlikely anyone will be listening to this record by the time the next Vampire Weekend or Ra Ra Riot effort rolls into view. But it's all good for the here and now, and will provoke many a wry smile this summer - and, quite frankly, what more do you want?
Artists in this article: Discovery
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