I'm still trying to figure out Vampire Weekend's fifth album, Only God Was Above Us. On one hand, the songs are undeniably catchy and interesting, what we their fans have come to expect.
On the other hand - what's going on here, conceptually?
The reason I ask is that Vampire Weekend have been surprising me for a while now. First it was the deeply religious themes of "Modern Vampires of the City". Then it was "Father of the Bride", which may be the happiest sounding brood on the meaning of it all since "Graceland".
So I could handle the notion that this was just another VW album full of multi-layered poppy indie rock songs, but for that track record and that title. While nothing is as immediately hooktastic as "Harmony Hall", I've learned over the last three albums that Vampire Weekend is a band you underestimate at your own peril. Ezra Koenig is too clever a songwriter, too deep a thinker, to dismiss this as Contra-band rather than "Ya Hey" level conceptual greatness.
I'll say this - I prefer the second half to the first. "The Surfer" is a new sonic pallette for VW, and "Mary Boone" and "Pravda" are both very lovely.
Yet even still, that second half makes me reconsider the first. While I still struggle with "Ice Cream Piano" as an opener, I'm also left wondering how Koenig can take something as silly as "Ice Cream" the dessert sounding like "I scream" as in a human shriek and make it seem - DEEP.
So despite its challanges, Only God Was Above Us is growing on me with each listen, and I'm ready to give it an A, which means, for me, they have joined the hallowed ranks of bands that delivered 5 straight greats. Nice works guys, and keep it up!
Негізгі бет Музыка Only God Was Above Us by Vampire Weekend (REVIEW)
Пікірлер