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Tyler: Norman, this one snuck up on me. Scanning my Google news feed less than two weeks ago, I took surprised note of a pack of reviews for a new album from Vampire Weekend. Though I wasn’t quite blown away by the news—the band’s third LP, Modern Vampires Of The City, ranks with the best of the ‘00s, but its follow-up, Father Of The Bride, left me cold—I nonetheless streamed this new one upon release. Only God Was Above Us is the title, and we’re here tonight to discuss what it’s got to offer.

What’s your history with VW? I like the first two albums fine, as bright indie-pop diversions.

Norman: I heard them on Saturday Night Live when their debut came out. Maybe it was the mix on SNL, I don’t know, but they sounded like trash to my ears and I couldn’t figure out why they were the new hype band. Then I heard “Oxford Comma” and I was SOLD! 

The first two records are so similar in my mind that I have a hard time separating them. They are extremely fun. Modern Vampires of The City is, as you say, one of the truly great records of the 2010s. If not for a few missteps in production, I would think of it as a perfect album. Father of the Bride could have been a great addition to their catalogue if they had dropped 6-7 tracks, but it is their worst album without question. 

Now we have Only God Was Above Us.

Tyler: I’ve listened to this a lot. Not just because we selected it for review.

Norman: Same.

But I would have done that anyway. They are a band that has earned my attention. I’ll give a new record of theirs repeated listens even if it isn’t catching.

Tyler: Helps when it’s rewarding. The classic joy of falling for a new collection of music.

This is a really exceptionally good album.

Norman: Here’s what surprised me. Father of the Bride, for me, was not bad, just overstuffed. This time, they have gone back to a leaner approach that works so well. You can actually feel their precision on the album if you listen to “Broken Washing Machine,” a bonus track for the Japanese release that is pretty fun but wouldn’t fit on Only God Was Above Us.

Tyler: Yeah, this one treasures economy. I appreciate that.

Norman: And the soundscape is consistent with one notable exception – “The Surfer.”

Tyler: Apart from “Surfer,” yeah, things here really zip along. As for “Surfer,” I’m still piecing together how much I like it.

It’s the only track that gives me any real pause. Even then, I don’t dislike it. The standards are just that high.

Norman: When I first heard it, I wondered if I was in a ’70s space movie or something. It might be the weakest song, but I think it works in the album to break up the intensity. Look, OGWAU is a relentlessly beautiful album, overwhelming. “The Surfer,” if you are listening straight through, gives your ears a pleasant, undemanding break.

Tyler: It also provides some calm prior to a song that reaches great great heights, “Gen-X Cops.”

Norman: Yes! If they had released “The Surfer” as a single, I would have been prepped for a disappointing album.

Tyler: One thing that strikes me is how packed the soundscape is throughout the album—to its credit. We’ve got synth buzzes and stand-up basses and canned beats and damned choirs. But it all never sounds too busy. It works splendidly.

Norman: Saxophones! Instruments I can’t identify! This is what makes the album so good, so repeat listenable. There’s always something new to discover, something you didn’t hear the first 10 or 15 times through.

Tyler: Amazes me, the invention on display here. Absolute craftsmanship.

Norman: The piano work is the mainstay, though. It seems to tumble in and out of each track. “Mary Boone” is a perfect example. The song is humming along and then this terrific piano lick drops in like a slap across the face.

Tyler: “Hope” has a persistent piano line, fading into and out of the picture, one of at least two terrific hooks within the song.

Hooks everywhere! This thing is addictive.

Norman: They usually do a good closing track! “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance” and “Jerusalem, New York, Berlin” are my favorites from past albums. “Hope” is a great final track.

Tyler: Love it. It earns the extra minutes.

Norman: Let’s talk lyrics a bit. The only criticism that I’ve read on this album is that it’s too serious. Koenig has entered middle age and he isn’t as fun or whimsical anymore. What do you think of that critique? Have any of the lyrics stuck out to you yet?

Tyler: I find it challenging at times to decipher precisely what he’s going for. There are international references of political significance, but I can’t decide if Koenig’s actually saying something, or just showing off his smarts a little.

Diplomacy rock! Perhaps.

Norman: You can really feel the middle age vibe on “Connect.” The lyrics are probably too obvious, but honestly who cares! Because, again, we have raging pianos, velvet smooth upright bass, all sorts of other wonderful sounds. Lyrics can be “whatever” for me if you can make up for it with this kind of sonic maximalism.

But the whimsy of “Oxford Comma” or “Horchata” is gone.

Tyler: I’m okay with that. I can always return to those records for a blast of good cheer.

Norman: There’s a trade-off. Only God Was Above Us demands a good pair of headphones. It’s the type of thing you can sink into.

I don’t listen to enough new music to make these kinds of pronouncements, but this would probably be Album of the Year material for me.

Tyler: It’s a tremendous piece of work. It’d be up there for me as well.

Way to go Vampire Weekend! A sublime return to form that also advances their sound by leaps and bounds.

Norman: Yeah, they can just keep making records like this!