Review
Let me tell you about the time Vampire Weekend grew up and left the kids' table. "Modern Vampires of the City," released way back in the innocent days of 2013, was when they rolled up their sleeves and got real with us. Swapping out their youthful, poppy beats for some serious pondering on the big stuff—like faith and our inevitable march towards the grave—the album paints a soundscape as varied as the topics it explores. This isn't your older sibling's Vampire Weekend; it's like they dug deep during a vinyl-laden soul search and hit paydirt.
The record is a wild audio safari, blending techniques like pitch shifting that make each track an ear-catching enigma. With tracks like "Diane Young," they serve up a frappe of rockabilly zest with a shot of existential angst. Then, they switch gears with "Hannah Hunt," hitting you in the feels with a timeless tale of love and distance. Sprinkle in a dash of grappling with the divine in "Unbelievers" and "Ya Hey," and you've got a band zigzagging between the theological and the personal with the grace of a New York taxi. The scene is set with the smoky imagery of their hometown on the cover, giving a nod to the city that never sleeps, even if its residents sometimes have to. "Modern Vampires of the City" is an intricate tapestry that proves Vampire Weekend can wear the grown-up pants and still party. - Leo
