Shall we?
Okay so first thing is first. This is the most misleading title and album cover ever. Ever. If you're going to name your album Modern Vampires of the City and have some creepy black and white and foggy picture of the city, the album should sound like the main songwriter picked up a nasty absinthe habit in the last year and has been carrying a tattered copy of Junky by Burroughs in his back pocket. Granted I've never read the book and the only time I tried absinthe I was so drunk it may have actually been peppermint schnapps but this album sounds like he had parents that played a lot of world music and Graceland by Paul Simon.
I do like this album though. It's way better than that last thing they put out. The one where the first song was about horchata. Thats the most unrock song you could write. Songs like that make me dislike New York.
They do a couple of pretty stupid things on this one though. The main one being the song where he does this spoken word thing where he talks about falafel. Yes, I'm totally serious. Okay, listen up Vampire Weekend. There is a strict rule about doing a spoken word bit in a song. It must be an excerpt from either the Satanic Bible or a passage from the Bible that talks about the devil and/or the end of the world. Also the voice must sound like it's Satan or Johnny Cash. I'm not sure how to describe the voice on the Vampire Weekend song though. Douche bag? Basically he sounds like the kind of guy that would recommend a vegan restaurant when you're going to a city known for a meat product. Let me explain:
Me: I'm going to Milwaukee this weekend. Know where I should eat?
Vampire Weekend: Yeah! There's this vegan cafe you gotta check out.
Me: *blinks* (slaps Vampire Weekend in the face, drives to Milwaukee, eats bratwurst after a tour at the Miller Brewery. Stops at the Brat Stop in Kenosha on the way back home).
Get what I'm sayin'?
BUT...the album is good. In fact, friends of mine that made fun of me for liking the first album now talk about how amazing this one is (I'm not going to say this is irony because usually whenever I say something is ironic I'm using the word incorrectly and I'm sure this is probably the case here). People will say it's more "mature" and it is. They've evolved as musicians and songwriters and the overall production makes it a more elaborate album. The second album failed because it was boring (and had songs about Mexican dairy drinks) but this album is not boring. Yes, it's irritating but thats because I judge them based on a stereotype that most would say is unfounded (but it's not really) about the city these knuckleheads come from. I still like the album. I just shake my head at some of the lyrics. Also in all fairness, I say the album sounds nothing like the title or cover suggests; the last 2 songs actually do sound what I would have thought the whole album sounds like. Also there is a track that sounds like a Smashing Pumpkins bside from the Mellon Collie or Adore days. So I guess thats a third song that lives up to the album title.
Anyway, I like this album. I like Vampire Weekend (I even played a game of pool with them once. Well, I played the drummer and the bass player...okay I sat next to the pool table they were playing at...I think I told them I liked their album). And I actually like New York. Chicago is better of course but New York is a solid little town.
Vampire Weekend is from New York right? If not, I need to fire my fact checker.
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