I tried not to like these guys. A bunch of preppy Columbia kids (who are actually younger than I am… scary) played a gig right by their hometown (which is my adopted town): Montclair. They played for 40 minutes despite charging $30 a ticket. It was this entire album plus a Steve Nicks cover. Bleck! But I can’t deny the power of this record. From beginning to end, the songwriting is spectacular, the beats are creative, original, ever-changing and always danceable and the instrumentation switches up to keep you guessing. This band will have staying power.

I have to be honest and say that my dislike of this album is definitely due to personal preference. This album is basically indie-rock meets world music. And I love indie but HATEHATEHATE world music. I’ve read that VW is looking to incorporate a different sound on their next effort so I’m willing to give them another spin. But this particular album is going to collect dust.