Discovery – LP, Album Review & Vinyl + CD Giveaway
9 Jul
Discovery
LP
XL
out July 7th
86/100
[Rating Scale]
[rating:86/100]
With the recent passing of Michael Jackson, every blog I read had some kind of eulogy to the king of pop – by the same writers who, a post earlier, had extolled the music of Dirty Projectors or Grizzly Bear or Animal Collective, or by musicians whose work seems worlds apart from Jackson’s. We might see indie music and pop music as worlds apart, but the trick is not to think of indie music as a reactionary measure, but as a division of pop music that is just less well-known. I feel like sometimes in our day and age people have a genre allegiance that thoroughly blinds them – a weird pretentious image, “too good for pop music.” “Too hip for pop music.” When you think about this, I’m sure you can realize how useless it is. Where would any of us be without pop music? There would be nothing without pop music. None of us is too good for the music we grew up with, and the music that inspired every musician we know.
In short, pop music is not a crime, and what I’ve been getting at this whole time is that Discovery’s LP is not a crime and it is perfect summer pop music. What’s wrong with that?
If you read this blog you know that Discovery is one-quarter of Vampire Weekend and one-sixth of Ra Ra Riot. These are two men whose main projects write songs with lyrics like “spilled kefir on your keffiyeh” and layer them with string crescendos and afro-pop guitar. Discovery is all about having hopeless crushes and dancing in clubs (sometimes in the same song!) and doing laundry and googling yourself. Discovery is about simple things, all fuzz and electronics and autotune and harmonizing, snapping fingers and handclaps. Some are simple and sad truths – “I try to fight this feeling but I can’t” – over unabashed dance music, and some have this happy urgency, upbeat clean keys and two voices trading off, broken and looped over synth and bass.
If you ask me what the best song on LP is I couldn’t tell you because I like them all. They are all voices wound up in hip-hop electronic buzz, keyboard waterfalls, tempo shifts, hand clapping. Wes Miles sings much like he does in Ra Ra Riot – lovelorn and confessional, swapping lyrics like RRR’s “When I arrive will you wake if I open the door” for (similar in sentiment, different in delivery) Discovery’s “When I saw you at the discotheque / send my vibe out to you.” Rostam Batmanglij backs him up with an equally unique voice and the same production skills he showcases in Vampire Weekend – pitch shifts, tempo shifts, a great diversity of sound. But you can make very different music with the same instruments. Discovery is not Ra Ra Riot, and not Vampire Weekend, and not some mélange of both. Something almost as great, but very separate. Discovery doesn’t bend genres or create them, it just fits where you wouldn’t expect it to. Might not be as impressive as creating a subdivision of music for yourself, but it certainly takes balls.
LP is ten songs – cute summery romantic pop. It is not perfect, but there are certainly moments of genius – the layering and shifting of Dirty Projector Angel Deradoorian’s voice in “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” (which is a jam if there ever was one); the xylophone that mirrors Ezra Koenig’s guest vocals in “Carby;” in “So Insane” the down-shift of Wes’s voice into an off-tuned abyss – “now that you’re / now that you’re / now, now, now, now.” “Swing Tree” (I think this might be my favorite) is nostalgic, reminiscent of a simpler time: “I would lay down on my back / looking up the stars at night,” with a kind of clean, positive keyboard line that reminds me of Vampire Weekend minus guitar. “Orange Shirt,” “So Insane,” “Osaka Loop Line” – all three are crush jams of the highest order, something you would surreptitiously turn up on the radio when your tenth-grade sweetheart was in the backseat of your mom’s car. For the most part, they are all bright and youthful and summery – and this works on certain tracks better than others. I still like Ra Ra Riot’s “Can You Tell” better than its predecessor, Discovery’s “Can You Discover,” maybe just because its delicate lyrics sound better with emotional strings. For the most part though, LP is lovely, simple, and ecstatic. Nothing seems like filler – everything is weirdly necessary (which is fitting, because with ten tracks LP clocks in at a little less than a half hour).
What Discovery have made is an album that is pop music of the highest caliber – bright and electronic and romantic, danceable, full of effects and production tricks, all these adorable lyrics like “I did your laundry while you slept.” I’ve asked this question before and I’ll ask it again: What’s wrong with that?
To enter to win a copy of Discovery’s LP on vinyl or CD formats (a total of two winners)., leave a comment with your thoughts on the tracks you’ve just sampled, Discovery, or (if you’ve listened to it) the album. Make sure you leave your name/email address in the provided fields! Entries will be accepted until July 15th
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Fantastic review Genevieve. I really agree with the first paragraph. I pity the fool who can’t enjoy some nice pop music… Discovery is some very nice pop music. I’d give it an 8/10
This is a great cd. There’s nothing that’s amazingly new that I’ve never heard of but they have found a way to make each song very catchy and enjoyable in their own way. It’s one of my favorite cds of 2009 already. 9/10
vampire weekend X ra ra riot..you can’t go wrong. seriously, one of the best albums i’ve listened to all year. and it’s a perfect summer album!!
favorite tracks would have to be: osaka loop line, swing tree, and can you discover (remix)
Like this album quite a bit after the first listen…it could do without the autotune, but it’s at least listenable…
This album at times is Justice, Muse, and Hellogoodbye all at once. A highlight for me was “I want you back.” The first time I listened to it I was skeptical. But now I see that this Discovery kills it with every song on this album. 8/10. without a doubt. but since my 8 may be different than other peoples eight, I put it equal to the Gorillaz self titled album, which is one of my favorite CDs.
That’s a good comparison.
PS: I love that I can reply to comments now! Kudos! It’s like Facebook, lol.
Thanks, I’m proud of my comparison skills.
I totally agree with you!
I am a really big fan of both Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot so this colab. is exciting. I cant get enough of Osaka Loop Line. I’m really impressed with everything that I have heard.
i really like the diversity on this album, how it can go from the indie-r. kelly vibe of “orange shirt” to an 8-bit vampire weekend on “slang tang.” i think i have had a different favorite track each time i’ve listened (this go round it was “so insane.”)
this cd is really super fantastic. i think that the group has a really unique sound which is probably due to the two artists involved. favorite song on the album is definitely swing tree. are there any remixes of any of the songs floating around yet?
I’m a sucker for ‘all voices wound up in hip-hop electronic buzz, keyboard waterfalls, tempo shifts, hand clapping’ so I’m in! Go POP
My favorite so far is Orange Shirt.
When I read about Discovery, my thoughts went from the awesome potential of the collaboration to the potential for it to be a gigantic failure. Listening to the album, I was really pleasantly surprised though… while nobody would accuse it of being anything more than a nice diversion from the main projects of its members, I found a lot of the tracks (in particular Orange Shirt and Slang Tang) to be refreshingly fun and enjoyable. The best part about this album though, for me, is just the fact that guys from some of my favorite bands keep experimenting and making music.
love the album. the cymbal crashes in orange shirt, the sounds in the beginning of osaka loop line, the fast beat and Ezra’s tweaked voice in Carby. only thing i didnt like was the last 2 tracks.
I’m not sold yet, some of the songs seem sort of awkward and unfinished. But I’ll listen some more and hope to be proved wrong…
i couldn’t agree more with this post, especially the beginning — pop-haters really bug me and always have. pop is supposed to be catchy, that’s the thing. it is created to catch you.
and discovery caught me hard core. recent happenings aside, i can’t get enough of ‘i want you back’. around the 2:32 mark, i feel the music so much that i honestly can’t avoid mouthing the words and tapping my fingers along with my ipod [even though I KNOW i look entirely stupid, and i would easily mock someone else doing the same]. i just can’t help it.
I definitely agree with the review..it’s okay to love pop especially when it’s this catchy and romantic.Between Orange Shirt, Osaka Loop Line, and I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend I seriously can’t stop listening.
I’ve been listening to the album over the past couple of days on and off.
I find it hard to get through the full album without skipping any tracks.
I think the MJ cover is a work of genius however.
Chris
I’m all for pop music, but this album quickly grew old and tired in my opinion. There are some highlights and catchy tunes, but it can’t hold together as a complete and cohesive album. And seriously, the autotune needs to go. Sorry to be the one “hater” here, especially since everyone seemed to like it. Anyone else on my side here?
I’m with you.
I feel like I’m the odd man out, but I grew tired of this album three songs in. Was I trying to take it too seriously? No. Did I hate it? No. I just can’t stand autotune, plain and simple.
Manners, you will be my one and only true summer love.
… too poppy
I can’t think of a better CD to listen to on a warm summer’s day.
I was obviously drawn to Discovery immediately after seeing the words Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot in the same sentence. The first single I heard was “Carby” and, upon first listen, I was unimpressed.
HOWEVER, about a week later I was introduced to “Orange Shirt,” which I fell in love with instantly. Because of this, I decided to give “Carby” a second chance and completely changed my initial opinion. I could not wait to hear the rest of the CD
The magic of LP is that the songs do not get old after listening to them over and over, they only keep getting better and more addicting. I hope these two college friends continue making great songs with their respective bands, but I will also be looking forward to discover more Discovery in the future.
Thanks for the great review!
I love this album! So amazing. Its got me going so insane (fav track) and i just dont know what’s going down!
I haven’t listened to this album enough yet to give it a solid rating out of 10 (or 100), but in December, I don’t think I’m going to look back at this year and think of this album as one of it’s best. There are some very good songs on this album (“So Insane” and “Osaka Loop Line” stand out to me), but autotune and slick pop songs aren’t really my thing.
I think Discovery’s LP is pretty good! The songs are mostly strong and the cover of I want you back is great. The autotune does get a little old after a while though. My favorite songs on the album is Carby and Orange Shirt. Overall, I would give it 9/10
I enjoy pop music. And i enjoyed Discovery. But after a few listens, it’s all really disposable. Also, can we review an album on this website that gets anything lower than a 70?
HAHA! I was thinking the same thing. We’ll do it when we come across something that reeks of mediocrity.
Hey Hey!
Something new i can add into my ranks of many iTunes Playlists.
This stuff is pretty sweet. Orange Shirt is gonna be a most played very shortly!
Dunno about the MJ mix, have to listen a bit more methinks though before judging.
This album is genius, one of the best I’ve heard this year.
It’s a nice change from Vampire Weekend. I’m not a fan of Ra Ra Riot but I like they can come together and do something completely different. It’s about time people with talent tried to write some decent pop songs. Very good summer album along with Passion Pit and the new Florence & the Machine album along with Dent May and Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Looking forward to the rest of summer.
I’ve been listening to Osaka Loop Line on repeat ever since it took over music blogs in April. It’s hard to cram into a single, confined genre, and that’s what I love about Discovery. It spans different genres to deliver a danceable beat that’s, as you mentioned, perfect for summer. Personally, I’ve actually never been a huge fan of either VW or RRR, but this collab definitely stands out. Looking forward to the rest of the album.
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These are basically as good as ’04 Usher jams. I’ve loved every song I’ve heard from Discovery. It’s incredibly hard to pinpoint one or two songs as ‘the best’ because they’re just all so good. I especially love Carby, because Ezra Koenig has a great voice, and the percussion is dope. I also really love Osaka Loop Line for it’s very laid-back, spacey synth. Discovery is magnificient.
This album is great in its minimalism. Definitely not imposing. Its light, ephemeral quality makes it great for easy summer listening. Play on. And who doesn’t love more opportunities to chill with the VW boys?
Have been enjoying for a couple weeks now and haven’t gotten tired or ready to “dispose” of it, as it were.
Fave tracks would likely be: Carby (great beat, love Ez), I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (great airy vocals), Orange Shirt, and So Insane.
I love the musical textures on the album. It’s definitely great summer indie pop, very joyful and care-free. I’m not too sure about the auto-tune, and I kind of find something’s missing sometimes though, but overall, it’s very enjoyable. 7.5/10.
My favorite track at the moment is “I Want You Back”.
I was going to begin this comment by naming my favorite track off LP, but then I couldn’t pick just one. Great for summer – fun and upbeat, but still interesting. The lyrics are awesome! “google yourself when you get home”
my ears are in love with this new album. vampire weekend can do no wrong.
This is a great synthesis of Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot. The techno feel is wonderful, and the songs really bring out a lot of the lesser heard but most desirable elements of the two bands. Orange Shirt is my favorite song, but all of them have their own unique feel and really push the boundaries of indie music. Honestly, these songs are better than anything done by the two source bands.
I REALLY love this album. The cover of “I want you back” is kind of odd, but somehow still my fave on the album after one listen. Maybe it was just the recent death that did it for me, but I really enjoy that song, and the rest of the album a lot. Pop goodness – substance free and head bopping material.
wonderful songs here
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Someone I know recommended this album to me, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting much. However, this might be my favourite album of the year so far. Fer realz!
So far, from what i’ve heard, i’m really enjoying Discovery, ther are moments where the auto tuning gets a little distracting but most times it’s balanced well against the other synth elements. They definitely have a great pop sensibility that is light without being frivolous and fun without being irrelevant.
So far I think my two favorite songs are “So Insane” for it’s playful switching of tempos while still retaining it’s crooning ballad romanticism. And “Osaka Loop Line” for it’s timid and bashful lyrics floating behind some beautiful synths that make me think that if I put on pair of big headphones and closed my eyes while i was listening to it I’d be soaring through the cosmos.
Thanks for posting such a great album!
I love to hear collaborations between musicians from different bands, it shows how creative they can get. I love what Wes and Rostam do to experiment with the sound on each track. This is an album I’ll be listening to all summer.
dance your pants off fun!!!
make em say uuuuuhhhhhh!! i would have given it 9 and one half light bulbs myself, but overall spectaculous.
it’s funk-tastic!
I sit here listening to Depeche Mode’s “Shake the Disease,” because I’m feeling nostalgic for something like Genevieve alluded to: a blurry, fuzzy memory from some summer a thousand years ago, when I blared music that sounds something like Discovery does on a jam box at my neighborhood’s public pool when I was 12. I play DM because I have to take a break from listening to the Discovery LP now. Because I’ve devoured this album. Gaily. I hope Discovery won’t be another Temple of the Dog. To hearken back to Genevieve’s metaphor: to me, the thought of getting only this one, delightfully superior pop album, would be like sitting in the back seat of your mom’s car with your girl, having her hold your hand, kissing her snowcone-flavored lips, and then never seeing her again. Thank you, Discovery, for providing a great soundtrack to my summer, 2009. I hope I get another
ps: I made an unofficial FB page for Discovery at the link below. Anyone who has news, thoughts, etc please let everyone know
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=636787927&ref=profile#/group.php?gid=93555528284
My favorite tracks are “Slang Tang”, “Swing Tree”, and “I Want You Back”! I especially love Wes Miles’s vocals in “Slang”. Most of these tunes remind me of the Postal Service-Give Up album, not bad at all. I like it!
=D I feel good now
I like what I hear
:]
Carby seems like a cool song (especially since it has Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koeing). All of the songs are very catching and something that fans can listen to for years to come…