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American rock band Vampire Weekend returns with their most challenging record to date, the frenetic “Only God Was Above Us”.
It’s like a musical shot of adrenaline. But it’s worth the work to discover its rewards.
Getting there just takes repeated and careful listening.
The 10 tracks of “Only God Was Above Us” won’t easily hook the listener at first like “Harmony Hall” or “This Life” did on their last full-length release, 2019’s “Father Of.” Was cut. Bride.”
While “Father of the Bride” has California sunshine and a Grateful Dead-infused glow, “Only God Was Above Us” is a sometimes dissonant, raucous ode to 1980s New York City.
That sometimes confusing tone is set right out of the gate with the first track, “Ice Cream Piano”, which begins with lead singer Ezra Koenig singing a profanity and features a fiery guitar riff that builds on the instrumentals. Ending with a thunderous sound.
“Gen-X Cops” is perhaps the most accessible track on “Only God Was Above Us”, featuring driving guitars and a catchy refrain of “each generation makes its own apology”. But it also has the same layers as New York, making it somewhat of an attempt to highlight what the song has to offer.
Welcome “Mary Boone” to the list of Vampire Weekend songs named after women, in the “Neither Here Nor There” category. She joins “Hannah Hunt” and “Diane Young”.
The mesmerizing album closer and best track, “Hope”, clocks in at nearly 8 minutes and is both harrowing and soothing at the same time, with Koenig’s “I hope you’ll let it go / I hope so.” is a whirling dervish of sound punctuated with “You let it go.”
The chaotic energy of “Only God Was Above Us” may be too challenging for more casual Vampire Weekend fans looking to imitate their previous work. But it’s a fascinating evolution for a band that refuses to stay in one place for too long.
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