vampire weekend, jens lekman

Shouting out from the darkness as my love for good pop tunes recovered its soul. Vampire Weekend is one of the most talked about band in the net, and after finally bringing out an album, it looks like its well earned as well. The eponymous album has, without a doubt a few misses. But the strength of the excellent Mansard Roof and Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, aided and abetted by the new wave punk meets string orchestra Boston, the sunny Campus and the unforgettable One. Lyrically it also shows what a creative text can bring to a song. A morbid streak runs in my family, but for you i could put it to rest, the singer sang in one song, or the chant 'Blake's got a new face', shouted with glee, is just a few highlights. Whether they will be remembered is another question, but for now I'm just grateful someone's writing pretty songs.



Another one who also writes pretty songs, if not prettyER, is Jens Lekman. Like his german namesake, he's also quite gaga. After slowly getting recognition for his immaculate songwriting, he almost threw it away to become a bingomaster (the inspiration for one of the track here as well, or at least i think so). Luckily, he changed his mind and stayed on course to bring out one of the best album of last year Night Falls Over Kortedala. The lyrics are witty, and despite the undoubted melancholy of the songs, they're also very uplifting and cheerful. Reminds me a bit of old Moz at some places, but then again, that's never a bad thing.

I picked up a seashell
To illustrate my homelessness
But a crab crawled out of it
Making it useless

or

Well sometimes I almost regret it
like I regret my regrets.
I see myself on my deathbed saying
"I wish I would have loved less"

or

People seem to think a shy personality equals gifted
But if they would get to know one I'm sure that idea would have shifted
Most shy people I know are extremely boring
Either that or they are miserable from all the shit they've been storing

These are just few of the gems Jens wrote, and if they don't bring Morrissey to mind, then you probably haven't heard a thing Morrissey sang. And all this covered in melody so sweet I thought I'm getting diabetes.