This summer, a certain catchy, yet totally un-PC, tune has been cropping up at Radio One’s Live Lounge with surprising frequency. Despite the controversy surrounding the song and its NSFW video, it seems artist just can’t resist attempting Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’. Last month, Queens Of The Stone Age offered up a loose, bluesy cover from the Live Lounge; it was interesting, but perhaps a wee bit under-rehearsed. This week, Vampire Weekend have had a pop at it, and the results do not disappoint.
General consensus from the world at large is that Robin Thicke is an arrogant creep; anyone who is on the fence at all clearly hasn’t seen the video for ‘Blurred Lines’ yet (Robin Thicke has a big what??). However, as fun as it is to hate him, it is totally futile to say that ‘Blurred Lines’ is an entirely bad song. It has a good beat and fun tune, which is why the Vampire Weekend cover really works. Apart from the undertones of sexual terrorism, ‘Blurred Lines’ really isn’t that dissimilar from their usual style. Pretty much any song that makes you feel like you want to ‘bop’ could be covered effectively by Vampire Weekend.
Whilst Robin Thicke has the likes of Pharrel Williams and T.I. (does anybody know who this man is?) to loiter around behind him and release belligerent ,yet well-timed, howls, Vampire Weekend have the upper hand in the form of much sassier, female vocalists. Not only are the lovely Ezra’s vocals spot on throughout, but his rapping is great, perhaps Vampire Weekend should consider a new direction. Not only do the guys manage to recreate the jangly goodness of the original with real instruments and a hearty dollop of cowbell, the vibe of the cover is generally a lot more light hearted and pleasant to listen to than the original. Replacing all the ‘bitches’ with ‘fishes’ is a particularly nice touch; stay hilarious, Vampire Weekend.
