Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us
Indie Rock – Released April 5, 2024 – 10 songs, 47 mins
LUNDI
Vampire Weekend, the whimsical indie band out of New York, are back with their fifth studio album Only God Was Above Us. The record serves as a love letter to their former selves combining the highs of a profound and eclectic discography that’s blended together to form the greatest album of the twenty twenties. A musical masterpiece with only the concept of hindsight holding it from being a perfect record. Aloof as it is sharp, Only God Was Above Us solidifies there is no band quite like Vampire Weekend.
Ezra Koenig, mastermind of the VW project, presents one of the greatest lyrical performances in recent memory as he aptly uses a wealth of intellect to pen the sharpest lyrics in the business. Dissecting the meaning behind his songs is a welcomed journey for any lyrical lover as almost nothing amongst his words is an on the nose observation. His writing is ripe with cultural and historical references gained through an Ivy League education and life as a world traveller. But even with the relatively unknown littered amongst every verse Koenig still has an uncanny ability to develop a deeply emotional connection with the listener as his choruses and hooks are wrought with emotion. His unique high register vocal prowess and hip-hop like rhythm delivery pair with his excellent lyricism to form an absolutely mesmerizing front man. Everything about Koenig from the first scribble to the last note is truly unique as he finds a wonderful balance between intelligence and fun. His wide range vocal and pen aren’t the only tools in the tool kit either. He is one of two main producers on the album and tracks a litany of instruments across the ten tracks. A musical savant, a tour de force. A gifted individual who has mastered his craft.
Koenig, as skilled as he is, certainly didn’t do this alone, and while right hand man and producing teammate Ariel Rechtshaid may live in the shadows of VW, he is nearly if not equally important. The song structures created by the duo are painstakingly crafted, built on the foundation of playful surf rock guitars and beautiful melodic piano licks and runs. There is an oozing of confidence amongst the obscure sonics that make up the record’s 47 minutes. A tediously developed musical collection that never wastes a single second, produced and delivered with ultimate purpose. While a myriad of other musicians contribute, including band members Chris Tomson and Chris Baio, for all intents and purposes this is the Ezra and Ariel show. Two musically gifted visionaries at work.
These skillsets and visions ultimately created an album so obtuse that even on multiple listens the surprise transitions and added instrumentation still catch you off guard. A characteristic that may be the best of the best as it keeps you wanting more, wearing out the repeat button. Nothing about this album is typical, filled with moments that inflict goosebumps. Fluttering pianos, crunchy guitars and perfectly placed brass and strings fill the air, a shape shifting musical adventure that never fears being brash due to an innovative musical outlook where the artist knows what the listener wants before the listener even knows such music could exist.
The genius doesn’t stop with the music itself either as the album layout is perfected. Over the 10 tracks the tempo remains constantly fluid with excellent use of change of pace. As Ice Cream Piano sucks you in Classical and Capricorn take aim at your heart and soul. Before you can process that madness the massive middle of the album screams out the stereo with the electric Prep-School Gangsters and upbeat Gen-X Cops alternating with the beautifully crafted Connect and wandering delicacy of The Surfer. Album standout Mary Boone and the cheeky Pravda allow you to slow down and take a breath before closing track Hope, the longest song in Vampire Weekend’s rich discography, absolutely rips your heart out. A chef’s kiss on the album finishing a run of ten songs that have no flaws. Awe inspiring record. It’s as simple as that.
Walls fall, shacks shake, bridges burn and bodies break. It's clear something's gonna change, and when it does, which classical remains? Only God Was Above Us. Vampire Weekend’s fifth studio album is an instant classic. Unique, boundary breaking music that will be admired for generations to come.
Overall Rating: 9.4/10
Favourite Song: Prep-School Gangsters
ROZ
There are some albums out there that simply cannot be denied, and this week’s TSR reviewed album epitomizes exactly that. American indie rock band Vampire Weekend is back again, this time with their fifth studio album and, I am not going to drag this out or mince words here, this album is brilliant. This is probably the first time in our three-year existence as a music review blog that I’ve been this blunt, which I hope speaks volumes in regards to the quality of the record I’m about to deconstruct. We have a good one for you this week, folks – this is Vampire Weekend and Only God Was Above Us.
Never in my time here at Too Sweet Reviews has a modern album flowed so smoothly from the top to the bottom as this week’s album does. Vampire Weekend has expertly constructed a soundscape for themselves that checks all the boxes when it comes to fresh, interesting music: melodies that captivate you, sonics that are unique to the point of being borderline impossible to replicate, and lyricism that has the ability to bore directly into your soul. The most impressive aspect in my opinion? Everyone, each individual member, shines throughout the entire track listing. Frontman Ezra Koenig shows off his supreme talents as not only a vocalist and songwriter, but also as a skilled multi-instrumentalist as he spans the record on not only the guitar but also the piano, the organ, and an array of various analog synthesizers. Chris Tomson makes each song his very own by incorporating his own unique groove on the drum kit, while bassist Chris Baio adds his own low-registered weight to each track, rounding them out and anchoring everything down within the frequency range that I find matters the most. Longtime collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid supports the boys behind the scenes within the confines of the record studio, and I have no doubt that his efforts factor in greatly to how well mixed and well processed the final result came to be. A supremely remarkable effort across the board, with no member lagging behind.
Only God Was Above Us truly feels like a living, breathing entity; the efforts of a band so in tune with one another that it feels as though they are all an individual piece of one giant organism. From the performances to the production arrangements and everything in between, each element plays off the other with such fluidity and technical prowess that I found myself constantly picking my jaw off the floor. On Ice Cream Piano, squelching guitars meet dynamic piano arrangements before crashing to a halt by the end, as Ezra slams both hands against the piano to produce a jarring cacophony of noise. Speaking of proficiency on the ivories, look no further than Connect – piano driven melodics partnered with calming vocalisms, filtered synth hits and a simple drum arrangement. Ezra himself breaks into his own solo moment near the mid-mark, before resolving the track with a climactic crescendo by the end of its five minute run time. Simply beautiful in both tone and timbre.
Both Pravda and closing track Hope highlight the savviness of Rechtshaid in the production studio, as channel effects are meticulously implemented to ensure that each instrumental and vocal effect could be considered instruments in their own right. Delay, echo and reverb are painstakingly automated manually by the Ezra-Rechtshaid production partnership in order to continuously add depth and space; the result is a vivid, dynamic experience for the listener to soak themselves in and enjoy. The devil is in the details, and Only God Was Above Us is as intricate as it can get. As my experience treads on, I find myself naturally gravitating back to both Capricorn and Prep-School Gangsters, the two songs that I find best encapsulate not only Vampire Weekends inherent sound but also captures pure creativity in a bottle. Unique soundscapes, delicious hooks, impressive vocal performances and mostly importantly that hard to explain, deeply subconscious sensation that causes a person to yearn for another hit of that sweet serotonin release that only music can give; the sort of sensation that lets you know you’ve come across a truly special record.
The album that gave me chills more than once. Vampire Weekend's Only God Was Above Us may very well be the band's best effort to date, and it will certainly be a part of the conversation when it comes to crowning the best album of 2024.
Overall Rating: 9.0/10
Favourite Song: Prep-School Gangsters
REID
‘F*ck the world’ is sung softly by Ezra Koenig to open this week’s album. A sentiment I felt boarding a plane back to work after a wholesome family vacation to Florida. I’d imagine my two companions felt similarly returning from their own trip to Mexico. Tough transition back to real life but worth every penny. Now – back to business.
2024 man. I’m starting to feel like a broken record but we’ve only punched a third of the calendar and it’s already in contention for the best year of music since TSR began. And the beat rolls right along with a scintillating fifth studio album from New York indie rockers, Vampire Weekend. Coming off a lackluster fourth release, Father of the Bride (2019), Chris Tomson (drums) and Chris Baio (bass) rejoin forces with Koenig for arguably their best work to date.
Let’s begin with Ezra. This year alone we’ve gotten to review a few of my favourite artists in Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood (The Smile) and Adrianne Lenker. I’m not sure I can give a higher compliment than by saying Only God Was Above Us vaults Koenig to this upper echelon of musicians. I’ve been a big fan of VW’s work since Lundi introduced me to them 10+ years ago. Vampire Weekend (2008) and Modern Vampires of the City (2013) are incredible. Contra (2010) is a step down but is still very good and although Father of the Bride (2019) is viewed as a misstep, I subjectively love their sound enough that it's still an enjoyable listen. Maybe Koenig took the latter’s harsh criticism to heart because Only God is on a whole new level. The unmistakably unique voice, electric, acoustic and 12-string guitars, the organ, synthesizers and keyboards – the man does it all. I haven’t even mentioned the lyrics, I’ll touch on those a little later.
The production effort and quality by Ariel Rechtshaid, Koenig and team is fascinating. They truly left no stone unturned and put an immense effort into making every song distinct in its own way. The drum machine, harmonica, conga, tambourine, glockenspiel, saxophone and cello on top of those previously listed are sprinkled throughout resulting in a remarkably rich soundscape. The instruments are played off one another beautifully creating a warming contrast. The attention to detail is something to marvel at, even on repetitive listens as you zero in and focus on a new quirk you didn’t catch before. Vocal harmonies performed by a choir back Koenig’s boy-ish like voice adding just another layer to the complexity. Imagine being a fly on the wall to all this? What an experience.
‘You don’t want to win this war, ‘cause you don’t want the peace’.
Once again I find myself comparing Koenig to Thom Yorke, this time it’s lyrically. It’s far from an apples-to-apples analogy as they’re quite different. But the meticulous nature in which they coin their phrases and deliver their thoughts in mysterious fashion is relatable. I’m oblivious to the true meaning of many of the songs even after numerous listens but am lucky I get to unpack this album over time and appreciate the nuances in Koenig’s work.
Vampire Weekend deliver a sure-fire album of the year contender with Only God Was Above Us. Ezra Koenig and the band build on their prior work and show off their brilliance with each listen more mesmerizing than before. They deserve the accolades coming their way.
Overall Rating: 8.6/10
Favourite Song: Mary Boone