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Modern Vampires of the City [Slipcase] by Vampire Weekend (CD, 2013)

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About this product

Product Identifiers

Record Label
Sony Music
UPC
4582214509358
eBay Product ID (ePID)
28050137814

Product Key Features

Artist
Vampire Weekend
Format
CD
Release Year
2013
Release Title
Modern Vampires of the City [Slipcase]
Genre
Rock

Additional Product Features

Number of Discs
1
Additional information
At the time of its release, Modern Vampires of the City was touted as a "deeper" offering from Vampire Weekend. Though that downplays the equally heartfelt and clever songs on their first two albums, it's undeniable that Modern Vampires is less obviously showy than their previous work. Instead of Contra's bright eclecticism, they opt for a less audacious production style and smaller instrumental palette. Guitar, organ, harpsichord, and the occasional sample combine into a rarefied sound that suggests a more introspective version of their debut, especially on "Obvious Bicycle" and "Young Lion," which bookend the album with some of its most literal and insular chamber pop. Modern Vampires' quieter approach also showcases what might be most enduring about Vampire Weekend's music -- endearing melodies and carefully crafted lyrics. It also fits Ezra Koenig's preoccupations on this set of songs, chief among them the fact that we're all going to die. The band sums up all of this brilliantly on "Step," where the music's hip-hop beats and harpsichords reflect the allusions to Souls of Mischief and growing pains in Koenig's lyrics. Elsewhere, Vampire Weekend tones down the quirks that may have polarized listeners before; songs like "Everlasting Arms" and "Unbelievers" walk the fine line between cheery and grating so well that they could win over those who previously found them too peppy and preppy. Modern Vampires of the City's political allusions are also subtler than they were on Contra, where the band brandished them like college students all too willing to display their awareness of current events: Koenig sounds offhanded when he sings "though we live on the U.S. dollar/We got our own sense of time" on "Hannah Hunt," and even the album's most overtly political song, the darkly verbose "Hudson," adopts a more historical stance as it incorporates everything from 17th century explorers, pre-war apartments, and exclusive New York neighborhoods into its meditations on fate versus free will. However, Vampire Weekend can't stifle their exuberance completely, and the album's louder moments stand out even more vibrantly against the subdued ones. "Diane Young"'s brash, buzzy mix of doo wop, surf, and punk feels like a nod to Contra as well as Billy Joel's "You May Be Right." On "Finger Back," Koenig sings "I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die" with so much joy that it celebrates life as much as it contemplates mortality. Ultimately, Modern Vampires of the City is more thoughtful than dark, balancing its more serious moments with a lighter touch and more confidence than they've shown before. Even if Koenig and company fear getting old, maturity suits them well. ~ Heather Phares
Reviews
Rolling Stone (p.67) - 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "Vampire Weekend have gotten better and just about everything they do. The grooves -- always the thing that made the band's twee side work -- are more self-assured." Entertainment Weekly (p.71) - "VW's elegant under-the-chandelier pop numbers and jaunty upper-crust punk rave-ups still provide subtext-free sonic pleasures....Bright and sweet with plenty to chew on." -- Grade: A- CMJ - "In a jarringly beautiful manner, Vampire Weekend has grown....MODERN VAMPIRES OF THE CITY stands to become the group's PAUL'S BOUTIQUE, raising the bar from being a fun but safe band to breaking ground ahead of their peers." Billboard (p.41) - "The new set is the group's most accomplished work to date....Just fine-tuned, expertly crafted music." Q (Magazine) (p.91) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[A] clever record. It's also, however, one that glows with tangible human warmth, heartbeat never failing to keep pace with its brainwaves." Mojo (Publisher) (p.84) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[With] the fragrant baroque-pop of 'Step' and the maniacal ivory hammering of 'Unbelievers.'"

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Picture 1 of 2

Modern Vampires of the City [Slipcase] by Vampire Weekend (CD, 2013)

About this product

Product Identifiers

Product Key Features

Additional Product Features

Best Selling in CDs

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