Wampire – Curiosity

Wampire – Curiosity (Polyvinyl)

Wampire’s Rocky Tinder and Eric Phipps have been jamming together since they were in middle school. They cut their teeth playing wild, shitty house shows around Portland, but being a legendary party band wasn’t enough for these greedy Budsuckers: they craved eternal life. What better route to immortality than recruiting one of the most talented guys you know – in this case Jake Portrait of Portland’s beloved Unknown Mortal Orchestra – to produce and co-write your debut album? On Curiosity, as it’s called, these lost boys explore a variety of genres and tempos, sometimes sounding like Ric Ocasek and the synth player from Dire Straits doing a macabre retake on ‘Walk of Life’. The result is a curious little collection of breezy organ-driven pop you’ll want to spin from dusk till dawn.

by Carly Blair