Discovery

Not being a fan of either Vampire Weekend or Ra Ra Riot, expectations for Discovery, the new side-project helmed by the former's keyboardist/producer Rostam Batmanglij and the latter's vocalist Wes Miles, weren't high. That said, even diehard Vampire/Riot followers should get ready for the letdown. To put it bluntly, the duo's debut, LP, is one downright obnoxious piece of work that brings together a limp selection of R&B/electro pop jams loaded with AutoTune-abusing vocals, paper-thin production and beats that are neither pumpin' nor thumpin'. And repeat listens do this record no favours, with the tracks grating a little more each time as these two indie rock nerds indulge their inner "urban music" fantasies. Oh, and the vocal-warping, T-Pain-style cover of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back"? Well, it's bad enough to make poor MJ roll over in his grave. At best, LP holds a few guilty pleasures. At worst, it's a self-indulgent studio project that should have remained trapped in the closet.