Vampire Weekend Album Review: “Only God Was Above US”
On April 5th Vampire Weekend released their 5th album, “Only God Was Above Us,” 10 tracks with a running time of 47 minutes. In the middle of a rise of artists switching genres and trying new sounds, leave it to Vampire Weekend to return to their classic tone. After their 4th album, “Father of the Bride” a much longer album tested the waters a bit for new notes they ultimately have gone back to the waves that brought them all together.
This new alternative album contains notes of jazzy mixes, whispering choruses, and twinkling instrumentals. They’ve also picked up on a recurring theme of celestial magic all while staying true to their own quirky tune. One of their singles released follows this path with being titled “Capricorn” “Capricorn / The year that you were born / Finished fast / And the next one wasn’t yours” highlighting a zodiac sign that ends out a year while also stating a new one. The lyrics capture the essence of classic Capricorn traits while being accompanied by a calming surge of melodies.
With each band member either already there or reaching a new decade at 40 years old their lyrics are moving away from being youthfully misheard and onto more life experiences and sharing wisdom they’ve learned from their earlier albums. “Connect” starts off with a glittering piano solo and onto the beat drop of the song that's sound is much lighter than the lyrics “I know once it’s lost it’s never found / I need it now / The grid is buried in the ground / Hopelessly down.” Serious lyrics, but with the tune following the last line of the verse you can’t help but want to dance with your arms in the air moving in a circle while simultaneously hopping around to the twinkle of the piano.
Lead singer Ezra Koenig has a beautifully individual character of sound when he sings that helps allude to the magic that Vampire Weekend creates. He knows when to be playful, serious, questioning, satirical, and above all a storyteller. In “Gen-X Cops” another single off the album the story features what seems like the eldest generation of Gen-Xers with lyrics like “Dodged the draft, but can’t dodge the war / forever cursed to live insecure.” However, the electric sounds that rip throughout the song during the instrumental sections adds to the overall allure. With continuing lyrics where Koenig offers up some of his classic knowledge and humor in the chorus, “But in my time, you taught me how to see / each generation makes its own apology.”
Another single “Mary Boone” who shares a name with the real art dealer, Mary Boone.“Mary Boone, Mary Boone / I’m on the dark side of your room / Mary Boone, Mary Boone / Well, I hope you feel like loving someone soon.” However, the name is less related to Mary Boone and more to capture the essence of what once was a memory in time. Reminiscing of a younger era in life, someone you share intimate secrets with and life goals only to look back and question everything, “Oh, my love, was it all in vain? / We always wanted money, now the money’s not the same / In a quiet moment at the theater, I could hear the train / Deep inside the city, your memory remains.” Backed by muffled mics, nostalgic Vampire Weekend melodies from early albums, and their classic gospel esc choir in the background angelically vocalizing the final chorus.
“Pravda,” “It’s just the Russian word for truth” talks of what we all go through in life; finding our own truths. The longing to escape to somewhere else and be taken away from what you’ve always known, whether it be seeing heavy snowfall, the blooming of cherry blossoms, or having been so far in the same city that you know it from aerial vision and below. Never expect anything to be said in basic terms with Vampire Weekend like in other songs where artists simply state the word “leaving” Koening replaces the phrase keeping to the beauty and escapism of the song with the lyric, “I’m leaving at the rising of the moon.” Adding to the ethereal essence when singing “I had a job once in Penn Station (I had a job once in Penn Station) / Down a tie shop called Tiecoon (Down a tie shop called Tiecoon)” the track echos the sound of a passing train followed by an overhead speaker to capture the daily path taken by many and the start of a new journey for others.
Closing out the album with a near 8 minute song Vampire Weekend chooses to end with “Hope.” The song needs the length with the lyrics that allude to the giving up hope from what the world has become. One line prevails throughout the cinematic orchestrated piece, “I hope you let it go.” A simple phrase but also so gut punching to someone in need of healing themselves to find their own tranquility.
Vampire Weekend are back and did not disappoint with their 5th album. Liberating from their once youthful presence, expect to see a newly matured sound in future albums along with “Only God Was Above Us.” The rock band takes listeners on a journey of self discovery and leaves them with challenging their own maturity and taking the next steps in life.
8.5/10