The album's too self-aware for me to disregard its intelligence. Criticizing similarities to Paul Simon doesn't work when the album does everything but explicitly acknowledge his presence ("Cuz I'm gonna take it from Simon/ And then I'm gonna duck out behind them"). If a comparison to Paul Simon should be made it should be VW to Bridge Over Troubled Water and Contra to his first solo album. Superficial optimism isn't undermined by implicit disillusionment, but augmented. We can win small victories, and, even if shit won't work out, we'll always have nostalgia.
On Zachary Woolfe: Another Long Vampire Weekend
The album's too self-aware for me to disregard its intelligence. Criticizing similarities to Paul Simon doesn't work when the album does everything but explicitly acknowledge his presence ("Cuz I'm gonna take it from Simon/ And then I'm gonna duck out behind them"). If a comparison to Paul Simon should be made it should be VW to Bridge Over Troubled Water and Contra to his first solo album. Superficial optimism isn't undermined by implicit disillusionment, but augmented. We can win small victories, and, even if shit won't work out, we'll always have nostalgia.