Though Wampire certainly has a lot left to prove, Curiosity busts down doors in the messy free-for-all that is indie rock on a similarly self-aware and intellectual plane to the way VW’s self-titled did five years ago.
A short-but-sweet assembly of synth pop that’s focused without sounding rigid, fresh yet reverent to a host of A-list influences, and insatiably listenable.
Curiosity is an ever-evolving experience, one that constantly engages but never overwhelms.
It’s nothing revelatory, but it works—with all the right pieces of pop music history in just the right places.
Curiosity is just over half an hour in length, with none of the songs outstaying their welcome. It may not be the most instantly appealing of albums, but with a little time it proves itself to be more than its title suggests.
There is nothing here that is particularly new, but when it comes to the many, many contemporary bands who take their influence- either musically or aesthetically- from the eighties, Wampire are at the top of the pile.
Since their inauspicious, experimental beginnings, Wampire have obviously matured greatly as songwriters; now, they just need to channel that same confidence and daring into the execution.
As uneven as Curiosity sometimes is, its mix of goofiness and melancholy is compelling enough to make it hard to dismiss Wampire completely.
With a sound that blends elements of psychedelic rock, experimental pop, and indie, the album provides a captivating and unique auditory experience.