Vampire Weekend, the New York-based band that emerged in the early 2000s, has sustained interest in their music over the years despite not always being well-liked. Their latest album, Only God Was Above Us, appears to be different from their previous work. Ezra Koenig, the band’s frontman, has created an album that seems to belong only to itself rather than in a bigger context. It is neither nostalgic nor overly positive, instead offering a brand of optimism that accepts that things just aren’t great.
Only God Was Above Us is dedicated to the record label executive Jerry Wexler and inspired by New York in the 20th century, as evidenced by the rusting subway carriage on the cover. The record seeks to recreate the atmosphere of a bygone era, one that once signaled immense possibilities but is now painfully out of reach. This sense of longing is present in each of the album’s tracks. Unlike previous albums that opted for obvious hooks, Only God Was Above Us prefers a sensory overload with heavy distortion, hip-hop rhythms, and urgent drum fills. The record still features some of the elements that defined previous albums, such as the jam band essence, but they are now more concise.
Lyrically, the album exudes pessimism despite the joyful music. Koenig seems to be at peace with accepting that things aren’t great. ‘Gen X Cops’ is a good example where Koenig muses on each generation making its own apology. It is perhaps the closest thing to a traditional Vampire Weekend earworm in the album. ‘Capricorn’ is a subdued demi-ballad, but undeniably one of their greatest songs yet precisely because of its wearisome advice: “you don’t have to try.”
Only God Was Above Us isn’t a nostalgic album, but rather an offering of passive acceptance. It marks a poignant ending to an album full of fatalism. The album speaks to a wider lack of control that has permeated the culture in the past few years. And, hearing Koenig’s voice tackle this type of resolution is all the more harrowing, given it once soundtracked an era of seemingly boundless optimism. Of all the contemporary bands who emerged from New York in the early 2000s, Vampire Weekend’s longevity is a testament to their innovation and their willingness to exist in a world that they’ve created and that belongs only to themselves.
Only God Was Above Us was released on April 5, 2024, on Columbia Records
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