If you haven’t listened to Vampire Weekend’s third album Modern Vampires of the City, then don’t read on. Father of the Bride, their newest release, is an unworthy successor.
Six years between albums is a long time, even though Vampire Weekend is a band with a good track record with three excellent albums released between 2006 and 2013. Ultimately losing original band member (and producer and co-writer) Rostam Batmanglij appears to be the source of a dramatic drop off in quality (and concision, this bloated album that comes to eighteen tracks long).
Ezra Koenig, Vampire Weekend’s lead vocalist, has the gift of a wonderful voice. And it’s captured nicely on this record. But good co-writing brought the best out of him. Even when Batmanglij does make his two appearances on the album, it is hit and miss. “Harmony Hall” is typical of the New York-based band – well-produced, lyrically interesting and sonically distinctive. The plangent chorus (“I don’t want to live like this, but I don’t want to die”) married to a delicate guitar line and a “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”-esque crescendo hit the mark.
But then “We Belong Together” is is so mis-judged – a kind of bogus parody of country music.
In fact many of the tracks seem pitched as a subversion (or homage to, it’s not clear) country music. “Married in a Gold Rush” for example – a travesty. Presumably it’ll end up being some people’s favourite simply as it has Danielle from Haim on it (she features three times on the record). It comes across like a drunken attempt to make a preppy, country version of a Johnny Cash and June Carter duet.
Koenig and Haim’s sickly lyrics on “We Belong Together” are particularly grating. Koenig has described the song as “wholesome”. It’s not. It’s ridiculous. Particularly egregious lines include: “We go together like Keats and Yeats, bowls and plates, days and dates, we stay united like these old states”.
There are some redeeming features to the album. The opener, “Hold You Now”, with it’s bombastic chorus, is a treat. The song samples a Melanesian choral song “God You Tekem Laef Along Mi”, featured in Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line. It’s interesting.
Edgier, guitar-led “Sunflower” sounds like a brilliant off-cut from their earlier records. “Unbearably White” is the nearest successor to the excellent material of their third album, Modern Vampires of the City, and points to where the band could’ve ended up with this record, without the detour into saccharine country worship. With more prudent editing, there is a good 10 track album here.
The sad thing about Father of the Bride is that it could’ve been so much more. Perhaps, if Batmanglij makes a comeback, balance will be restored. Perhaps, Vampire Weekend can improve on the near perfection of Modern Vampires of the City. Perhaps.
If you haven’t acquainted yourself with the band’s frenetic and fun debut album, the more sophisticated second record and the brilliant third album, go and do that. Miss this record out.
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