Album Review: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City

The new Vampire Weekend LP is luscious, regal and nostalgic. The third release from the New York City quartet has a dark undercurrent reflecting the cryptic visions of transience and brevity in their hometown. The wistful cover art, Neal Boenzi's 1966 photograph from the NY Times, contextualises the whole package and evokes the journey from a bygone era into the modern, energetic and experimental sound of Vampire Weekend today.

On first listen, the band's preppy, baroque-pop groove is still very much intact alongside Ezra Koenig's intelligent word play and vulnerable vocal delivery. But there are clear progressions, like the exciting pitch shifting and voice distortion on the double A-sided single, Step/Diane Young, and subtle surprises like the spoken word story at the end of Finger Back: “Cuz this orthodox girl fell in love/With the guy at the falafel shop/And why not?”

The opening track, Obvious Bicycle, is an exquisitely melancholy and sparsely produced chant, replete with yearning falsetto and a percussion sample from Keep Cool Babylon by Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus. In fact, it's the vast array of inspiration and exploration that makes this record so believable. From Angkor Wat to the Celtic-sounding 'flistle' on Unbelievers to the hip hop samples on Step, their eclectic taste gives Vampire Weekend the edge over more traditional indie rockers.

The contemplative ballad, Don't Lie, is a highlight that might be overlooked at first glance, while the second single, Ya Hey, is an upbeat track showcasing the group's knack for both catchy and complex melodies.

Modern Vampires Of The City is highly recommended. It hits an emotional chord that's hard to explain but with angelic choirs, arpeggios of harpsichord and indecipherably picturesque lyrics, you won't find this kind of uplifting despair anywhere else.