It's rare that a band is able to bring a new, unique sound to each of their albums. It is even rarer that each new, unique sound is successful. This is why Vampire Weekend are slowly becoming one of the best indie bands of all time, and their new album, Modern Vampires of the City, is possibly their best album yet.
This is only the third studio album from the four-man New York band, who are following 2010's Contra, which followed their 2008 self-titled album Vampire Weekend. Singer Ezra Koenig has stated that Modern Vampires of the City marks the end of a "trilogy" for the band, and that feeling definitely carries over to the music. As stated previously, Vampire Weekend are wildly successful in creating a unique sound for each of their albums. "A-Punk" and "Campus" are undoubtedly Vampire Weekend songs, while "Giving Up The Gun" and "Horchata" fit perfectly into Contra.
It's not surprising that Vampire Weekend can bring fresh new sounds to each album when you take a look at their background. The band originally formed out of a rap collaboration between Koenig and drummer Chris Tomson. Soon after, Koenig was performing with an African experimentation band. Eventually, Vampire Weekend would come together, taking their name from an abandoned film project by Koenig, and add a New York indie rock sensibility to a blend of electronic and African music with some added surf guitar and a hip-hop flow to their lyrics.
The band's unique mix of sound has never been more present than on Modern Vampires of the City. The opening track "Obvious Bicycle" immediately introduces some mild tribal drumming which is used throughout the album. Songs like "Worship You" and "Finger Back" are fast-paced indie rock anthems with an undeniable flow. Other tracks like "Step" and "Everlasting Arms" blend these two styles with mellow electronic beats.
Ezra Koenig has been quoted saying that this album will be much "darker" than their previous ones. I would hesitate before calling it a "dark" album, however, it is undoubtedly more melancholy than the poppy tunes on Vampire Weekend or the mellow college campus sounds on Contra.
The best way to describe the Vampire Weekend trilogy would be to look at it as describing a relationship. Vampire Weekend is the happy, fun, "honeymoon period" where everything is upbeat and bright ("A-Punk", "Campus" and "Walcott"). Contra is the content middle stage; things are mellow and calm ("White Sky", "Diplomat's Son" and "Taxi Cab"), but are obviously going downhill, which is seen on "I Think Ur A Contra" at the tail-end of the sophomore album. Modern Vampires of the City is the break-up and sadness that follows (as evident on the tracks "Step", "Everlasting Arms", "Hannah Hunt" and "Hudson"). Now, of course, this isn't true in terms of lyrical content, and every song doesn't fit this mold, but this is a good way to discuss the overall tone of each entry into the trilogy and how they work together to create an incredible (yet small) discography.
Overall, Modern Vampires of the City is a fantastic album with lots to offer. Long-time Vampire Weekend fans will love the new sound, and newer fans will continue to discover why there isn't a single indie band on the scene right now with the same originality or image as Vampire Weekend. Modern Vampires of the City is a much less commercial album from a band with songs in everything from Tommy Hilfiger commercials to Will Ferrell movies. It feels much more personal, and seems to come from a more emotional place than the indie-pop records that came before. This is definitely not an album to miss this summer, and will undoubtedly be blaring from open car windows all around the country when the weather warms up.
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