21 May 09
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Sunset Rubdown — “You Go On Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)” — Dragonslayer
Sunset Rubdown may just be the rich man’s Vampire Weekend. They’ve got the wiry, herky-jerk frames in common, but Spencer Krug’s penchant for shades of drinkin’ song and baroque ornamentation take us to the point of an adderall overdose: he’s multitasking so hard that we’re driven back into distraction. For what it’s worth, his band sounds perfectly at home in the mess and mania, and their stage histrionics translate into a genuine, anxious excitement for an audience. I guess what’s missing—both here and live—is catharsis. As hard as they can play, they’re just winding us tighter and tighter.
