Horchata

Wintry Mix

Horchata by Vampire Weekend

Recommended by Bella

"I had a dream about Ezra Koenig last night so I felt like recommending a Vampire Weekend song."

Yo, Bella, I love that you suggested this song. Remember that international street festival in Athens? I went back and explored more deeply after you left, and I found a booth that was serving horchata. Incredible, I know.

First, some vocab:

Horchata- a traditional beverage made from ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley, or tigernuts

Balaclava- ski mask

Aranciata- Italian for orange soda, maybe the San Pellegrino

Masada- Fortress in Israel

All those fancy words make it seem a little pretentious, but listen, this band also has a song called Oxford Comma, so what do you expect? Ain't nothing wrong with having a sophisticated vocabulary.

(It should also be noted that Ezra Koenig stated Oxford Comma "is more about not giving a f*** than about Oxford commas." But still.)

I'm not sure exactly why he'd look psychotic in a balaclava if it's the middle of winter and the cold is too much to handle. I think he'd look pretty darn smart in a balaclava. And the band is from New York, so...

Maybe it's embarrassing because of the weird social stigma against men dressing appropriately for the weather. You know, basketball shorts in the snow. Sweatpants in the summer. The usual.

Or maybe it's because it's not actually winter.

I'm imagining that the best days of this relationship were in December, when they drank horchata. But now it's summer, with pincher crabs that pinch at your sandals, and he's thinking back to the winter. He's trying to take himself back to that place by doing all those things that they did together, but it's like 90 degrees, so he looks psychotic.

It's like a series of "before and after"s.

Then: In December drinking horchata
Now: I look psychotic in a balaclava

Then: Winter's cold is too much to handle
Now: Pincher crabs that pinch at your sandals

I get that, and the tropical instrumentation backs it up.

You'd remember...

The only thing is...horchata can be served hot or cold. So I don't really know if it's summer and he's remembering December? Or if it's December and he's remembering the summer...Either way, I get vibes that it's about changing seasons versus changing feelings in a relationship.

Overview:

Genre:
Indie Pop

Favorite Lyrics:
Here comes a feeling you thought you'd forgotten.

Verdict:
Sounds happy, feels sad

Okay, but some of the instrumental parts could be from the Paper Mario soundtrack. Probably Koopa Village or the Toy Box. Or maybe Super Mario Sunshine.