With “A-Punk” being almost every guitar player’s first go-to tab and “Campus” becoming viral on Tik Tok a couple of months ago, you may be slightly familiar with Vampire Weekend. The band consists of Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Chris Tomson and formerly, Rostam Batmanglij. The four met during their time at Columbia University in the early 2000s.
Since then, they have released four studio albums. In the following paragraphs, the albums will be listed chronologically, but my own ranking is Father of the Bride, Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City and Contra.
Vampire Weekend, 2008
When Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut album was released in 2008 it was met with both praise and critique. This album uses many different genres such as indie-pop, afro-pop and chamber-pop, so it’s not hard to imagine that it is not everyone’s cup of tea. However, I think that this album is perfect for walking around a college campus on a sunny day. Most of the album was written as the band was finishing university, and that can be heard in the music. “Campus” is the perfect song to walk from class to class with, especially with lyrics like, “Then I see you, you’re walking ‘cross the campus / cruel professor, studying romances / how am I supposed to pretend I never want to see you again?” However, my favorite song on this album is “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance” as it reflects the fear that almost every college student has as they near graduation. Koenig himself has said that he wrote this song about having regrets about what he did in college and his worry about finding a job after graduation.
Contra, 2010
Closely following their first album, Contra is the second studio album from Vampire Weekend. This time around, the production was better, the recording clearer and even more cultural influences were present. Most notably is the new Latin influence, especially seen in songs such as “Cousins” and “Horchata,” and the new themes of the insecurity of existing outside of college. My personal favorites on Contra are “Holiday,” which perfectly expresses the need to go on away on a summer vacation, and “Giving Up the Gun.”
Modern Vampires of the City, 2013
Modern Vampires of the City is arguably Vampire Weekend’s most successful and well-renowned album. Taking on a darker feel than the previous two albums, Modern Vampires of the City deals with themes such as a strained relationship with God (“Worship You”), mortality (“Diane Young”) and the recurrent fear of getting older (“Step”). This album feels like the perfect ending to the trilogy of the first three albums, as the singer finally gets out of his adolescent years and is now faced with the reality of growing older. I think that the most profound and necessary listen to the song on this album is “Hannah Hunt” which documents a couple’s road trip across the country (commonly referred to as the continuation of Contra’s “Run”).
Father of the Bride, 2019
Vampire Weekend’s most recent release is their most mature and longest album yet with eighteen tracks. The production is dialed back and for the first time, there are features on the album with Danielle Haim and Steve Lacy. This is the perfect album to play in the car as the seasons turn from winter to spring and the weather starts to get warm. There are many different threads on this album, including three duets between the band and Danielle Haim on “Hold You Now,” “Married in a Gold Rush” and “We Belong Together” detailing a rocky relationship, which then ends with an acceptance that although they have issues, they can still love each other. The most notable songs on Father of the Bride are “This Life” and “Harmony Hall.”
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