Transcend Beyond The Living Dead

Born Ruffians “Stupid Dream”

If you squint a bit, you can pretend this is a brand new Vampire Weekend song. I know that’s unfair to Born Ruffians, but at the same time that is VERY HIGH PRAISE coming from me. And a big step up for them – their songwriting has really leaped forward since the last time they came around, and while you can hear a lot of VW in “Stupid Dream,” there’s a lot of interesting borderline abrasive textures that you might not find in one of their tracks. I love the way the main guitar riff comes in so hot but still has a crisp, clean tone, and the way the bass groove seems to elbow its way to the front of the arrangement for the verses. Luke Lalonde’s vocals are a revelation here, his performance is so vibrant and extroverted, and his frustration in singing “I am not the cream of the crop, and I am never rising up” is so present and real even if he maybe shouldn’t feel that way.

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