With Vampire Weekend on a break since the departure of Rostam Batmanglij last year, the band’s bassist, Chris Baio, has been beavering away on a second solo album. ‘Man of the World’ comes inspired (if that is the right word) by the election of Donald Trump and is a marvellous art-rock melange, pairing pristine pop with more experimental sonic happenings.
The title track is one such pop marvel. Here, a gorgeous mandolin riff is matched by joyous retro production that recalls ‘True Blue’-era Madonna. It lampoons the American president with a pleasingly light touch: “I’m always very gracious, and I stay up on the news / I’m a man of the world and I’m sure you’ll love my views.” The tone is direct, focused and satirical.
Similarly, Sensitive Guy comments directly on the notoriously thin skinned orange menace currently occupying the oval office. An elegant plucked riff is adorned by Motown drums and vocal melodies that give the song a cultured beauty.
Baio is a composer with a discernible talent for arrangement, and while his voice lacks the charismatic timbre of his regular collaborator Ezra Koenig, both of these songs could easily find their way onto a Vampire Weekend best of playlist.
Elsewhere, tracks impress but don’t always amaze. Lead single PHILOSOPHY! is a ruthlessly catchy indie disco cut, but it lacks a killer chorus, while The Key is Under the Mat is an Afrobeat jam that recalls Vampire Weekend most distinctively.
This is a double-edged sword because it calls into play Koenig’s absence again while also highlighting Baio’s use of programmed percussion instead of live drums. Programmed drums may give a producer more control, but the result is often sterile and cheap-sounding.
That said, Baio is certainly doing his own thing and he has delivered a fine record that easily matches his 2015 debut, ‘The Names’, which is also very much worth a listen.
Baio Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Wed July 19 2017 - LONDON Waiting Room
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