Jul 122013
Modern Vampires of the City
Modern Vampires of the City is Vampire Weekend’s third album, and it is a bustling world of voices and visions from the death of Henry Hudson to the Orthodox girl falling in love at an uptown falafel shop, from Hannah Hunt tearing up the New York Times on a distant beach to the lethal chandelier of “Everlasting Arms,” from the ardent yearning of “Don’t Lie” to the harmonized voice of hope in “Young Lion”. Modern Vampires of the City has a grandeur and romanticism evocative of the city where it w
List Price: $ 14.98
Price: $ 4.96
A Natural Member of the Vampire Weekend Collection,
I’ve been with Vampire Weekend ever since I first saw “A-Punk” on VH1, and am happy to say that they just keep getting better. I loved their first cd and then nearly went wild when Contra came out. But this one takes it to a new level. Rarely do you find artists willing to devote time to making songs that simultaneously are lyrically beautiful and musically textured. We saw that with the first two albums, and now Vampire Weekend has proven how consistent they are by delivering another round of catchy, layered tunes.
In all honesty, I was a bit hesitant in purchasing Modern Vampires, despite how habitually I listen to their other albums. Mainly, I thought their sound might be getting too different. But after listening to the samples, I decided to go ahead and make the purchase, if not just in support of their previous work. I was thoroughly relieved to find that I still feel a profound connection with their songs. In a way, they are getting different, but in no way have they rewrote their style. Modern Vampires of the City fits naturally in the VW trio, and gracefully echoes many of the themes found in previous tracks without any trace of redundancy. It also looks great next to their other albums.
A word to any of you still on the fence: the samples do not give this album justice! Without the natural context of the songs, you miss out on the smooth transitions between tracks. And these transitions play a key role in creating the progression of thought that weaves this album into the complex story that it is.
In short, this album is a real tribute to Vampire Weekend’s resiliency in style. Modern Vampires of the City proves to be rife with songs that elicit strong visceral reactions and for many of the songs there will likely be a new interpretation for each listening. That’s the great thing about Vampire Weekend: each song is so intricately structured that it becomes a living thing, and it grows and matures as you do. Be prepared for words that dig deep and melodies that mercilessly play in your head whether you like it or not.
But take it from me: you’ll like it.
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|If you like Vampire Weekend, you may or may not like this,
It’s clear that Vampire Weekend wanted to go in a different direction with this album. Many people will reward them for that, citing the “evolve or die” argument. But if you were a fan of Vampire Weekend’s first two albums (as I am) and excited for this new release (as I was), there’s the potential for massive disappointment here.
My primary source of disappointment (and the reason I decided to become the first 3* reviewer) is the total absence of notable guitar work on the album. As a guitar player, I’m obviously biased, but I feel like Vampire Weekend had a few hallmarks to their sound that make them identifiable as a band. One of those is the “faux harpsichord” progressions, which still appear on this album. They also have some beautiful piano parts layered underneath Ezra’s vocals. But the guitar riffs – a variety of vintage, almost “surf”-like undertones – are almost completely gone, and that was one of my favorite aspects of Vampire Weekend’s music. Take virtually any notable VW song (A-Punk, Oxford Comma, Holiday, Cousins, etc.), and there is heavy guitar work that makes up the identity of those songs. (The beautiful piano work on “Taxi Cab” would be a notable exception to this rule). That VW has chosen to virtually eliminate guitar from the formula and become more a piano/electronic band doesn’t make them “bad”, but takes away an important element of what made them great.
As a secondary complaint, I would note that there’s real lack of energy in this album. It reminds me a lot of all the things wrong with U2′s “No Line on the Horizon” – excellent musicianship, but ask yourself an important question: “Had this been the FIRST album from this band, would anyone have noticed them through the crowd?”. It’s possible to make a “darker” album without compromising the energy and formula that made your band appealing in the first place.
My view appears to be a minority opinion, but I thought the first two albums were 5* all the way. I’m 31 and I didn’t consider them to be “immature” records in any sense. I will stick with the album to see if it “grows”, but normally when you hope for an album to “grow” on you, you’re basically waiting for it to become something it’s not.
There’s an assumption out there that individual bands need to “grow up” with us and become more serious and contemplative with us, as we presumably are also doing with age. I don’t agree with that. I think that notable bands and artists “stand” for something, and allow you to seek that out if that’s a mood or sentiment you want to experience. It’s possible for a band to start as something and become something else. U2 has been everything from a Christian band to an Electronic/Dance band. But if you want “something different”, nobody’s putting a gun to your head and forcing you to play Vampire Weekend. Summers in Cape Cod are nowhere to be found on “Modern Vampires”, and I kind of miss it.
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|Quarter-Life Crisis Pop,
The third album in the Vampire Weekend trilogy was met with the same fanfare the other two received (and for good reason). This band knows how to make a pop record. Not since Beck hit the scene, releasing his 1996 breakout album, Odelay, has a band managed to so expertly tow the line between experimental and poppy, uniting both the indie and mainstream listener. The band has its quirks but uses them to its advatage, unlike lesser indie bands that become obnoxious over time due to an eccentricity overload. Pop songwriting has always been a breeze for Vampire Weekend.
With that said, Modern Vampires of the City breaks away from the carefree summery spirit of its predecessors. Forget about the good schools and friends with pools; Cape Cod has been vacated for the winter. Mortality, faith, and existential crises are now on the agenda, playing against a cold monochromatic New York City skyline cloaked in a dense layer of smog (with a Bret Easton Ellis-style title tramp-stamped in the top corner for good measure). It’s safe to say the band is making an uncomfortable transition into being… adults. Wistful, poignant, and incredibly melancholy, this album is a huge departure for the band but not an unwelcome one.
I have chosen to review this album track-by-track, as I have with past reviews.
“Obvious Bicycle” – Interesting choice for a first track. Arguably the least engaging song of the bunch, this song might have been better sequenced somewhere toward the end of the album. It seems a little too slow to kick things off properly but it does have a nice Wilco thing going on (and a very Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood piano part at the end). (5/10)
“Unbelievers” – I saw the band perform this song at Pitchfork last summer and at first, I thought it was a Springsteen cover. It’s clear that the band is toying with a folkier sound now and it’s pretty far removed from the sound that brought these guys fame. I need more time to warm up to this side of the band. (6/10)
“Step” – The first single I heard and still a favorite, this song revisits the classic VW sound we all remember from their debut. With lyrics both literary and precious, and a harpsichord carrying the Pachelbel’s Canon-esque tune, this song is a walk down memory lane. Wow, 2008 seems so long ago all of a sudden. (10/10)
“Diane Young” – Ezra channels his inner Elvis on this Footloose-y sounding tune, complete with Wipeout guitars and Ween-like voice modulation. (8/10)
“Don’t Lie” – Those classic VW strings are back in full force on this track. Pretty upbeat for a we’re-all-gonna-die kind of song, but then again, why not be upbeat about something you ultimately have no control over? (9/10)
“Hannah Hunt” – Absolutely gorgeous. Not only my personal favorite on the album but easily a contender for Top 3 Best Songs this band has ever written. I will be purchasing the vinyl based on the power of this song alone. At the risk of overhyping it any more than that, I’ll stop typing. (11/10)
“Everlasting Arms” – Everything about this song comes together perfectly. It reminds me of a Contra b-side in a lot of ways and the vocal melody is vaguely reminiscent of something Tracy Chapman would sing in that 90′s hit, “Fast Car.” I especially love the string arrangement. (10/10)
“Finger Back” – Sounding like old Animal Collective, this rambunctious song is poised to be the next single (and background music for the next ten commercials you see on TV). (7/10)
“Worship You” – Employing a marching beat, reminiscent of the one used in their debut “Mansard Roof,” this song shows us how far their sound has evolved. (6/10)
“Ya Hey” – This might be the most polarizing song on the album. The verse is amazingly catchy and the chorus is amazingly chipmunky. As annoying as the soundbyte is to some, it’s also quite the earworm. (9/10)
“Hudson” – Hands down the darkest song on the album, this track almost seems like it was written by another band. Themes of time passing pop up again on this one, adding an extra dose of dread to what is practically a funeral dirge. (6/10)
“Young Lion” – Rostam grabs the mic for this quaint little album closer and it’s the perfect ending to a solid record. (He really needs to release a full solo album eventually, by the way.) (10/10)
In breaking away from most of the sounds and themes that made them popular in the first place, Vampire Weekend narrowly escapes the fate of becoming the next Beach Boys. Instead of endlessly writing redundant songs about summer sun and sipping tropical drinks, the band has managed to add a layer of depth to their sound that was previously unbeknownst to the public at large.
Thanks for reading!
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