Heave Media

Now, because I enjoy both Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend, I was understandably excited by news of a collaboration between Riot's lead singer (Wes Miles) and VW's keyboardist (Rostam Batmanglij) under the name Discovery. However, it was easy to hear the sighs of discontent from some members of the music community, believing that this could be the ultimate in overrated, super-hipster projects. While Vampire Weekend was far more hyped than Ra Ra Riot, both bands recieved quite a bit of favor, and some began to wonder whether or not each band would be able to live up to their acclaim, or whether each would prove to be a one-note band.

 

Perhaps the bands have work to do regarding their personal staying power, but as far as creativity goes, Discovery proves that Miles and Batmanglij aren't lacking in that area. While Discovery isn't anything entirely ground-breaking, it is full of incredibly catchy electronic jams, a Jackson 5 cover, and even a guest appearance from Ezra Koenig, VW's singer. Let's hear it for albums that renew faith in collaborative creativity, shall we?

 

The album starts off with a bang--"Orange Shirt" is easily one of the strongest tracks on the album. It's got the surefire mix of great electronic hooks and endearing lyrics. Frankly, it doesn't hurt that Wes Miles possesses a very emotional voice. In a way, he always sounds like he's about to cry. That sounds like a dreadful insult, but it truly works well for the boy. That quality lends a sweet tone to any set of lyrics. Right off the bat, Discovery shows that they're getting a solid handle on the sometimes difficult terrain of electronic music with feeling behind it. The duo is able to succesfully juxtapose choppy rhythms with smooth lyrics, and avoid any gimmicky pitfalls.

 

As far as personal favorites goes, I'm going to have to go with "Osaka Loop Line." Musically, it has the most presence, thanks to the mix of grounding tones, along with airy notes floating above the foundation. It plays the most with tempo and even though it's the longest (still only 4 minutes) song on the album, it is by far the most interesting. Time proves to be one criticism that I have of this album--while none of the songs are appalingly short, it seems like the tracks could be even better if only they were given time to develop. Length doesn't always lends itself to catchiness, but I feel like Discovery could pull off lengthier songs with aplomb. 

 

One thing they can't really pull off? Reimaginations of songs past. While "Can You Discover?" (an electronic remix of Ra Ra Riot's track "Can You Tell?") isn't awful, the song wasn't meant for a purely electronic sound. Also, it just seems like cheating to take one of your own songs, put some synthesizers behind it, and call it a new track for a new album. Surprisingly, even though it's not one of the best tracks on the album, I prefer their eerily well-timed cover of Jackson 5's "I Want You Back." Somehow, the song lends itself rather well to distorted robo-vocals. Who knew?

 

For selfish reasons, I hope Discovery doesn't prove to just be a one-album side project. They've got a lot of potential as an electronic duo, despite a few pitfalls on their maiden voyage. Be sure to have this on hand, because you're bound to get sick of listening to the Postal Service soon enough.