Vampire Weekend draws from a variety of references, pushes their sound forward through genre bending, sampling, and experimental sounds along with superb instrumentation and mixes it with thoughtful commentary on society, self-reflection, and relationships through the vocals of songwriter Ezra Koenig. There is an upbeat springtime vibe to the album as promised, but in many cases it is juxtaposed with dark lyrics. It’s an album that can be enjoyed in the background at someone’s barbecue this summer or alone with a set of nice headphones. Motifs that flow though this album include God, religion, and time, which can give listeners of past albums a bit of peace to know that despite some of their new sounds, they are still Vampire Weekend.
Overall, Vampire Weekend’s creativity with sound and sampling coupled with thought provoking themes make this album very good. Danielle Haim is a strongpoint throughout as her full voice blends nicely with Ezra’s softer tones. The fantastic blend of acoustic Americana Folksy Grateful Dead-esque music and newer more electronic sounds gives the listener’s ears a tantalizing treat. And the thoughtful lyrics give the listener’s brain one as well.
Top Tracks (as of now)
Hold You Now (feat. Danielle Haim)
This Life
Big Blue
Flower Moon (feat. Steve Lacy)
Jerusalem, New York Berlin
Frank Arigo, born and raised in Queens, has a passion for live music, imaginative covers, and genre-bending artists. He loves complaining about the New York Mets, discovering new music artists, and bragging about his alto sax skills. He hopes you enjoy this site and thanks you for checking it out.