Albums of Today: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City (2013)

Look at those dudes, being all casual and stuff.

Intro

I recall my first experience with Vampire Weekend pretty vividly, actually. Saturday Night Live, 2010 I believe it was. Contra was their big release at the time, and when they started playing "Cousins"... I didn't know what to think. A bunch of pasty-skinned kids from New York, playing this addicting indie tune that was admittedly catchy as all hell. I kinda brushed them off my shoulder, but I found them to be... harmless. That's it. I heard the Weekend again when somebody was showing off a copy of Lego Rock Band, which "A-Punk" (from their '08 self-titled) was featured as a playable track. The addicting chorus spat out constantly by lead singer Ezra Koenig got stuck in my head constantly after that. I was definitely sold following this incident. Now, you probably imagine how I felt after I heard about their new release this year, Modern Vampires of the City. I was in the same boat you were, expecting their copyright fusion of baroque pop, indie rock, alternative, and even Afrobeat. I was dead wrong. The ensuing result, however, created one addicting record.

Modern Vampires of the City (2013)

 The Album

Where do I start? First off, the album cover. It completely does away with VW's copyright minimalist album covers. A flashy album title graces the top right corner, and the band's simplistic logo sits dead center on top of a picture of the hazy NYC skyline. We all know something is different. Now, Modern Vampires of the City is a loose concept record. Concepts don't work too terribly well in today's mainstream scene, but VW proves that notion wrong. From the get-go, we all know it's something different. The airy piano of "Obvious Bicycle" opens the album, and Ezra's unique voice sets the tone for the album: echoy, energetic, and altogether different. Note that this album still retains a pop sense, so don't expect any tracks over 6-7 minutes. They haven't delved THAT far in, and you kids with a short attention span should enjoy this album without bitching about song lengths. "Unbelievers" is a track teeming with strains of young love, with lyrics like "Girl, you and I will die unbelievers/bound to the tracks of the train". Honestly, I don't know what chick wouldn't swoon over that. The next track, "Step", is probably my least favorite on the album. Ezra's voice starts to grate on me a little bit, being a little too airy. The lyrics don't help either, with something or other about wisdom teeth. Lucky for us, the insanely awesome single from the album, "Diane Young", follows. The sheer energy of this track is enough to make you tap your toe and air-bass. The use of pitch changing in the song is really unique, and the chorus is infectious (Baby, baby, baby, right on time). I'm extremely glad they picked this to be the single, and it's definitely my favorite song from the album. "Don't Lie" brings out some neat organ lines, but it kinda kills the mood right after such a killer track. But it's a very good track on its own. I wouldn't be surprised if this is another single from the album, with it's baroque-y strings accent the loud drum beats and Ezra's vocal lines. I feel like this song is in the line of the Lumineers, like a louder version of those indie darlings. "Hannah Hunt" adds to the concept of living in the city, finding love, and growing up. Contemplative piano leads the track, and this is actually a very pretty ballad. The guitar work near the end wraps up the song nicely, and Ezra's higher pitch vocals work well alongside the lyrics (Though we live on the US dollar/you and me, we've got our own sense of time). "Everlasting Arms" is sort of filler, but kind of bridges the ballad to the next track, which has some energy. Very simple, not bad though. "Finger Back" starts with a sort of U2-esque drum beat, and drives along with Ezra's falsetto. A nice stream of energy and synth lines drive this song, but it's no "Diane Young". Big church organ leads the last part of the song, and a spoken part about a nice Jewish girl meeting some guy in a falafel shop just turns up the concept even more. Lovely track, really. "Worship You" deals with a local love leaving town, and all the dudes being like "Why?". This album really does resonate with me, as something similar like that has happened in my small town. Vampire Weekend really has stepped up their game, and this track is a great example. "Ya Hey" isn't really the best track. It's a tad overlong too, being the longest track clocking in at a little over 5 minutes. Church choirs and chipmunk voices in the same track definitely throw off the balance. VW kinda just threw a bunch of stuff valid in the concept into a bowl, and recorded that shit. I like it more than "Step", though. "Hudson" is actually pretty dark, talking about the death of a dude named... well Hudson, who fell into the... you guessed it, Hudson River. Named after him, apparently. This in relation to the concept is probably simply talking about a character who died, but then again.. the concept ain't that explicit. Good song though. "Young Lion" is a short and simple ending track, basically saying goodbye to the album, maybe shedding light on the next album? Who knows.

The Verdict

To be honest, I liked it. I loved listening to it. But, it's not Contra or Vampire Weekend. However, if you're tired of listening to the same alternative rock and fake indie on the radio, grab this album. It's definitely a contender for Album of the Year, and I'm gonna be dirty pissed if it doesn't go the Grammys.

Rating - 4/5

For fans of: The Lumineers, Foals, Dirty Projectors, and alternative rock/indie in general.

Oh wait, music!

Since I started my journey with Vampire Weekend on SNL, you should too.

-Dave