Portland synth-pop export Wampire aren’t as wonky as their name lets on — and they’ve got a lot going for them. After a relatively inactive 2012, the band has slowly garnered more attention, netting comparisons to John Maus and Ariel Pink while becoming associated with fellow Portlanders/musical oddities Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Not only is UMO taking the band on tour this spring, but bassist Jake Portrait produced their new album, Curiosity.
New BFFs and a helping of buzz notwithstanding, Wampire’s music is infectious and disarming enough to stand on its own, as evidenced by the LP’s lead single, “The Hearse”. Here, the band combines creaky organs ripped from a Disney haunted house with pulsating new wave synths for a retro-tinged, otherworldly rhythm that begs for a lil’ grooving.
A 7″ single of “The Hearse” hits stores on on March 5th via Polyvinyl. Curiosity is due out sometime in May.
