Modern Vampires of The City: An Album Review

Posted by on Tuesday, May 21, 2013

When I first heard about Vampire Weekend I wanted nothing to do with them. In fact the whole idea of  Vampire Weekend made me sick. Preppy Ivy Leaguers with sweaters draped over their shoulders singing about Cambridge, and Cape Cod. This was one 1% percent music. Music I wanted no part of . . . that is until a girl I had a crush on burnt me a copy (sorry for writing about old crushes, Christina). Nothing ever happened with the girl, but I fell in love with album. Researching oxford commas and getting the hell out of Walcott were all I could think about.

They continued to impress me with their second release, Contra. Now with their third album, Modern Vampires of The City, I'm speechless. Ezra Koenig and the gang have really outdone themselves. Modern Vampires is far different. The lyrics are more personal. The music is more refined. I find myself relating to the lyrics in ways that I haven't related to an album in a long time. Koening is 29 (same age as me) and with lyrics like "Wisdom's a gift, but you'd trade it for youth", and "Nobody knows what the future holds and it's bad enough just getting old" the album feels like an anthem for late twenty somethings transitioning into full adulthood.

MV is  more introspective than previous albums. Koening digs deep when questioning not only his place in the world, but his feelings about religion. "Unbelievers" explains itself in the title of the song.  Not only is the title of"Ya Hey"a shout out to Outkast, it's the Hebrew pronunciation of Jehovah (Yahweh). On "Hannah Hunt" he sings about not believing in a person of faith's words about  "hidden eyes" that can see what we're thinking.

We're almost half way through the year and this album stands out above anything I've heard. I feel like it's important  for everyone to listen to. Vampire Weekend have made something that will last. Not that you can compare the two albums, but I haven't been moved this much by an album since Bon Iver's For Emma was released in 2008. Making a third album can be really difficult for most bands, especially with all the hype that has surrounded Vampire Weekend since their first release, but they pull it off seemingly effortlessly.







2 Comments

  1. It's literally the only thing I've listened to since I bought it a few days back. The songs are clean and easy to listen to for people who tend toward mainstream but also have unexpected twists for those who prefer more edgy and indie styled songs. As someone who tends toward the mainstream, these unexpected tidbits are refreshing and balance perfectly, never jarring you too far out of "normal". I love it. Great review!

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  2. Its my favorite Vampire Weekend CD! I like all the insight in the post. Also are you going to work on a summer playlist? I always look forward to those!
    PEACE!
    Noemi

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