Princeton
“Cocoon of Love”
4.5 out of 5 Stars

Princeton sound like a Wes Anderson film. Not just the soundtrack, but the movie itself. They sing of flawed, quirky characters, allusions to history and literature, and fleeting poignancy. Of course they’re a bit ostentatious. They named themselves after an Ivy League college and write about books that make you feel smarter just by flipping through them. But Princeton’s full length debut of breezy indie pop rises to the occasion amidst lofty aspirations.

“Cocoon of Love” subscribes to the Vampire Weekend school of indie rock. While it remains contemporary, it works off an expansive palette of influences from years past. They use strings, but not in a supplemental way as most of their contemporaries. “Sylvie” sounds like it could’ve been written as an orchestral piece and only fitted with chirps of guitar as a closing thought. Even their simplest moments, such as the “I love you, let’s shout it out” hook of “Shout It Out” are wrapped in swirling casings of instrumentation that suggest the shear breadth of their influences.

“Cocoon of Love” is a brilliant debut that could have sat between The Kinks and Simon and Garfunkel in the ’60 just as effortlessly as it will undoubtedly be grouped with indie pop acts Ra Ra Riot and Andrew Bird. An essential, yet still very underground listen for autumn ’09.

Key Tracks: “Sadie & Andy,” “Calypso Gold.”
-Chris Payne