 Wampeters
Murder Your Darlings
CD
Review by Grace Dangerpugg
It's important
to note that the title of the Wampeters new disc,
their seventh release, is most likely ironic. The
cd cover to Murder Your Darlings may
exhort Moms, Dads, and children of all ages to
break into the family gun locker and go Columbine on their loved ones,
this probably isn't what the band had in mind.
The hint is in
the band name. The word Wampeters comes from a
book of Kurt Vonnegut essays, "Wampeters,
Foma & Granfalloons" where the author
used the word to mean something on the order of
"outright lies." Thus, when a band
named for bald-faced lies gives their disc a
violent title, we can assume they had something
on the order of peace on their minds when they
wrote it.
Or maybe not.
It's hard to tell in these last days. This clever
trio may actually want you to Balkanize your
version of the Cleaver house with a swinging
cleaver. If so, more power to them. This is still
America, and the Virginia-based Wampeters are as
American as Thomas Jefferson, his mistress, red
scares, chatroom copulations, apple pie and
Chevrolet. Doesn't a rock band still have the
right to exhort the children who purchase their
discs to perform great acts of violence? Of
Course. Lock and load kiddies. When you're
tackled by a third grade teacher and paraded
before the cameras, you can tell Barbara Walters
the Wampeters made you do it. The Wampeters could
even turn nascent American violence into a promo
scheme, something on the order of "Murder
Your Darlings and get a free CD!"
Then again, as I
said before, it's most likely that the title
shouldn't be taken literally.
Musically, Murder
Your Darlings is a pop'n roll kitchen sink as
fraught with duck'n cover Americana as the cold
war era air raid sirens which still pierce the
air in the city of Chicago at 10:30 am on the
first Tuesday of every month.. It is also perhaps
the best and most painstakingly crafted work of
indiepop to wend it's way to Rain City in a
while. "Anytime" and "Lee Jackson
Highway," have the reassuring truth ring of
good fiction. The songs on this disc are all very
well crafted, the bridges are solid, the
performances are airworthy, and the lyrics never
disappoint. Go ahead and buy this disc, but don't
Murder Your Darlings.
www.wampus.com
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