California English

Album: Contra (2010)
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Songfacts®:

  • On this track, singer Ezra Koenig Auto-Tunes his voice over a breezy, almost calypso vibe. On using AutoTune in this song, Koenig commented: "It doesn't sound like T-Pain. There's plenty of amazing music from around the world using AutoTune besides American pop."
  • For a band synonymous with New York, it may come as a surprise that Vampire Weekend have "gone Californian" on this track. Koenig explained to Mojo magazine November 2009: "When we say 'Californian,' people might think of Jefferson Airplane or Black Flag, but for us, it means a group of people, an aesthetic and a vibe. New York is essentially full of man-made things, but what makes California is the way people interact with the natural landscape. It's much more dramatic in a lot of ways than the East Coast and I think that has a deeper cultural resonance and affects the way people live."

Comments: 1

  • Stephen M Yantz from China Atm"singer Ezra Koenig Auto-Tunes his voice over a breezy, almost calypso vibe." he just sings twice and offets it a little
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