Modern Vampires of the City sees Vampire Weekend experimenting with their sound to separate themselves from the hordes of similar bands and the results are mixed. Their ambition is definitely there and I appreciate their desire to change things up, but some of the experiments just fall flat on their face. The incorporation of woodwind instruments and choirs on tracks like "Don't Lie", "Obvious Bicycle" and "Hudson" seems forced and fail to mesh with their style. However, these experiments are home runs compared to the disastrous "Ya Hey". I don't know what possessed them to loop chipmunk-esque vocals throughout, but it's just awful to listen to. These vocals paired with poor use of synths and a repetitive chorus make for the most obnoxious song Vampire Weekend has ever recorded. That being said, The biggest problem I had with this record was the lack of energy a majority of this record has. What made Vampire Weekend's first two records so exciting and different to me was how energetic, upbeat and fun the music was. This record sees most of that special spark disappearing in favor of a slower and surprisingly stagnant sound. Plenty of people will appreciate this shift in style, but I think this more-down tempo sound takes away from the genuine enthusiasm that made their music memorable in the first place.
Thankfully, not everything about Modern Vampires of the City falls short. Although it's in a reduced role, the infectiousness of their first two records isn't completely lost. "Diane Young" and "Unbelievers" are incredibly catchy and fun. These are the types of rousing tracks that Vampire Weekend have built a career around and I'm glad that they didn't completely lose focus of that while modifying their sound. Despite my lesser enjoyment of the enhanced focus on producing slower material, there are a few slower tracks that work well. "Everlasting Arms" is a pretty powerful track while "Finger Back" and "Step" are low-key, subtle tracks with nice instrumentation and hooks. The production on this record is also fantastic. This is the first time the band used an outside producer and Ariel Rechtshaid gives them the sharpest sound they've ever had. Guitarist Rostam Batmanglij did a fine job producing the first two records, but the presence of an outside producer managed to get the cleanest sound mix they've ever had.
Modern Vampires of the City is a competent albeit somewhat underwhelming third full-length for Vampire Weekend. The record's slower pace makes for a far more pedestrian record than their previous material. Save for "Ya Hey" and "Hudson" there isn't any misfires, it's just that a lot of this record is average/half-decent making for a not particularly memorable listen. I really missed the fun, upbeat vibe that dominated their first two records. Their spirited sound made them unique and memorable and that was the primary reason they were one of the few indie bands I enjoyed. Their new sound isn't terrible, but it takes away from the originality they had and makes them a lot more like other less creative indie bands. Modern Vampires of the City simply just didn't click with me the same way the self-titled record and Contra did.
3/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Diane Young
2.Unbelievers
3.Everlasting Arms
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