Vampire Weekend returns with 'Only God Was Above Us'
Photo by Michael Schmeeling.
While attending Columbia University, Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig and drummer Chris Tomson began performing together on a project called “L’Homme Run”. They bonded over the fact that they were both fans of African and punk music, and shortly after, formed what became known as the group that is known today for their reinventive fusion of sound.
With their debut in 2008, the band entered the pop indie scene and gained popularity almost immediately for their constant praise for their unique music style. With them being indie music icons, they have gained popularity from all over the world and have won Grammy awards throughout their career. ‘Only God Was Above Us’ marks the band’s triumphant return— their first album in five years, their second in almost a full decade, and an overall transformative sound from what the band used to be.
“Ice Cream Piano” opens the comeback album strong with vocals from the lead singer with just a soft instrumental sound followed by it. In the middle of the song, it transforms itself into a synth beat with a sharp sound, accompanied by loud drums. The song talks about an argument, whether it’s with someone else or with themselves, The song demonstrates an anger for the cynicism in the world, with just the opening lyric, “Fuck the world, you said it quiet / No one could hear you / No one but me.” This song he seems to be suggesting to the listeners that we need to expand our understanding of conflict.
The familiar lead single of this album, “Capricorn” is soft and captures the carefully chosen tones that make Vampire Weekend’s music what it is. The drums and bass move smoothly through Ezra’s vocals and provide a rich sound to the track. This song paints an image in someone’s mind of life and its constant chase of purpose. This track is a reminder of Vampire Weekend’s abilities to push boundaries change into non-mainstream sounds and experiment with brand new ones, creating a unique new one.
“Prep-School Gangsters” comes from a story in the New York magazine in 1996, that talks about privileged students getting in trouble due to drug dabbling. The prep-school gangsters are the people who run the vast majority of institutions Koenig said. The song contains a vintage guitar riff and immediately gives you the idea of being in New York that year.
The album’s closing track, “Hope,” is eight minutes long, the longest song Vampire Weekend has ever released, and gives off the idea of letting go, with lyrics, “The prophet said we’d disappear/The prophet’s gone but we’re still here/ His prophecy was insincere/ I hope you let it go.” The soft drums in the background accompany a rapid but calming piano, the song talks about how much a person can endure and constantly suggests that society finds a way to make our rage disappear.
Koenig described the new album as a journey from questioning to accepting, maybe surrendering, from a negative worldview to something a little deeper in a recent interview. He also described the album as a more playful and weirder album than their previous work as it contains more distortion but the lyrics keep the band grounded when it comes to experimenting with new sounds.
The album provides a vintage image of New York, as it is a significant place for the band, it also gives a vintage sound with grainy guitar sounds that complement the scenery and aesthetics that the band is stepping into. With lyrics that encapsulate deep emotion and let the audience immerse themselves into the set imagination that Vampire Weekend is trying to capture with this new rock alternative album.
The band is ready to embark on tour, as they have been ready to get on stage on April 8th, where they will be performing a midday concert in the path of the solar eclipse and will be live streaming this performance. You can purchase tickets to their tour here.
