Have you ever heard of a catchy little group called Vampire Weekend? If you have heard of them, do the smart thing: Hop on iTunes and download their newest record Modern Vampires of the City. You won’t be sorry. Vampire Weekend hails from New York and they are not, I repeat NOT an ‘African band’ (says Ezra Koenig, floppy haired guitar player and lead singer), despite their initial foundation in African music and their repeated incorporation of world sounds into their work. Back in 2007, V.W.’s song “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” was ranked 4th on Rolling Stone's ‘100 Best Songs of the Year.’ Their quirky, catchy album Contra (2010) showed us that these boys are not only good musicians, but fun lyricists as well (“In December drinking Horchata / I’d look psychotic in a balaclava.”) It has been a ride to the top since then for Vampire Weekend…complete with a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live (11 May 2013, Kristen Wiig hosted) where they performed “Diane Young” (a clever euphemism for Dying Young, this author thinks) and “Unbelievers,” which are both tracks from their new album Modern Vampires of the City. The new album hit shelves and download sites on May 14th.
Here's what you need to know: if you'll sit down with this album and spend some time getting to know it well, you'll hear philosophical waxing about aging and death throughout, with a few religious references sprinkled on top. Sounds depressing, right? Not so! Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmaglij, Chris Tomson and Chris Baio deliver their musical message via frolicking harpsichord (“Step”), be-boppy 50's style (“Diane Young”) and baroque inspired melody (“Don't Lie”). All the while, the listener is really hearing a bouncy, bubbly, melodic message: We're not those 20-somethings anymore…we've evolved into a thoughtful (yet fun) band who wants to talk about the future. Everyone's future.
From the moment one looks at the album cover, the listener is asked to think. The smoggy 1966 photo of New York City serves as a metaphor for vampires: anthropogenic toxins in the air kill people similar to the way vampires do, making them the Modern Vampires of the City. This is an album dedicated to love, loss, aging, death and spirituality wrapped up in sparkly wrapping paper that often leaves the listener wanting to tap his (or her) feet, nod the head and sometimes dance. All the while, these boys are introducing thought-provoking themes that the listener will ponder much longer than the album’s length.
