Artist: Vampire Weekend EP: Mary Boone Genre: Indie Rock, Baroque Pop, Alt Rock Release Date: March 28th, 2024

When I was in 8th grade, a girl I had a crush on recommended a song to me. It didn’t matter what it sounded like or who it was by, obviously I was gonna listen to it. My grand idea was to come back later with a recommendation for her of an even deeper cut by the same band. Obviously she’d like me if I could one-up her in self-proclaimed hipster-dom, right? I went home and listened to the song – it was very, very good, she had great taste. It was upbeat and unique, the singer’s voice was grating at first, but it grew on me by the end of the song, and it was in my daily rotation before you could say, “hey, hey, hey, hey.” I took a deep dive into their discography, just two albums at the time, and found that I liked pretty much every song. When I ran into her in the halls again, I recommended what I thought to be an adequately underground and unknown song of theirs. “I’ve already heard that one,” were the words that accompanied the sound of my heart dropping. Not sure what I expected; the gatekeeping ran deep. The song she recommended was ‘A-Punk.’ The band was Vampire Weekend. The song I recommended was ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa.’ Should’ve gone deeper.

Vampire Weekend and I go way back. I’ve listened to their first three albums on repeat since they were released, and have memorized just about every mumbled, shouted, and whispered lyric. They were a formative part of my music taste and my growing up, and this new album is shaping up to be pretty make or break for my current, more jaded, adult perception of this band that I grew up with.

For those that don’t know, Vampire Weekend started out as an east coast based, Ivy-league attending, sweater wearing, English literature studying, pretentious-but-not-in-a-lame-way, indie rock band. They grew to be known for creative arrangements, unconventional instrumentation, and approachable but cerebral lyrics dressed up in a friendly indie-alternative package. Their music is simple and fun enough to be enjoyed by anyone, while repeat listens reward with deeper meanings and countless allusions that you can feel great about understanding, or come away from with a free history lesson via Google. They’re the first indie rock act to have two consecutive albums (2010’s Contra and 2013’s Modern Vampires of the City) enter the Billboard 200 at number one. With each release they were exploring uncharted territory. They were unafraid to take risks, they never fell victim to a formula, and they wouldn’t even consider selling out.

Fast forward to today. They’ve released 4 full-length albums: Vampire Weekend in 2008, Contra in 2010, Modern Vampires of the City in 2013, and Father of the Bride in 2019. They’re consistently garnering at least 7 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and they’ve been selling out arenas for years (for those in the Seattle area, they’re coming to Climate Pledge on June 20th, 2024). They’re a massive success, so where does that leave us today? Have they sold out? Have they run out of ideas? Are they about to break up? They’ve evaded the 7 year curse thus far, but how much longer can they hold up?

Their latest EP, ‘Mary Boone,’ a snippet of songs from their upcoming full length album, ‘Only God Was Above Us,’ promises that they’re not slowing down any time soon. It’s as creative, inspired, and unique as anything yet, and it’s much more politically conscious than their previous work – it’s tailor-fit for modern day political and social turbulence, and the band has grown up with us.

‘Mary Boone,’ the first track off the EP, is precisely about how far the band has come. (“Mary Boone” is named after the New York gallery owner who was greatly influential in the 1980s. Boone closed her two galleries in 2019 ahead of a federal prison stint for offenses connected to tax fraud. She has now served her 30-month sentence and is out of prison.) Koenig reflects on themes of longing, nostalgia, and disillusionment. The lyrics follow a protagonist who is “new in town,” who wants to work, but can’t find any. The town is painted white, the protagonist is an outsider, “from Jersey, not from Brooklyn.” Things are bleak, but they have drive and passion. The tone shifts in the chorus, Koenig sings, “we always wanted money, now the money’s not the same.” Success isn’t all it’s hyped up to be. Vampire Weekend began their journey as eager, ambitious outsiders in the indie music scene. Now, they offer “Mary Boone,” an ode to the struggles of their early days. The arrangement is beautiful, with some of the most creative production you’ll hear, and the unmistakable, classical-infused instrumentation that Vampire Weekend does so well. It’s unconventional and creative, and more than anything, ‘Mary Boone’ shows us that they’re not out of touch. They’re still the same band that they used to be, they just happen to have lots and lots of money.

The intro to ‘Classical’ is an earworm unlike anything you’ve ever heard. It sounds like a classical melody (fitting, given the name of the track) played through an amp with a broken speaker cone. It’s this oddly natural distortion over a very traditional, major sounding line. It’s very strange, and as odd as it is, it gets stuck in your head. That along with at least five other melodies in this song. They’re truly pros at crafting interesting and catchy songs. Lyrically, this track is about the cyclical nature of history. War and peace will always come, war bringing an educated class that is competent and prepared, and peace leaving them without a purpose. The phrase “400 million animals competing for the zoo” offers a stark and cynical portrayal of society, likening its members to mere animals vying for dominance. This observation highlights the chaotic and tumultuous nature of human existence, where individuals struggle for power and status in a relentless competition. The lyrics explore the idea of cruelty becoming “classical” over time, suggesting that what is considered cruel can eventually become normalized or accepted within society. This highlights the malleability of moral standards and the potential for negative behaviors to perpetuate across generations. Try and imagine this track coming after “Horchata” in their second album, and you’ll realize just how much they’ve grown up.

‘Capricorn’ is a mid-tempo meditation on the inevitability of growing old. It’s the slowest and the heaviest track on the EP, ranging from vocals over drums to some of the biggest synths you’ve heard. The violins and piano parts harken to string features on their first albums, and the synth solo in the middle of the song is off-putting and charming all at once. “Can’t reach the moon now, Can’t turn the tide, The world looked different when God was on your side,” Koenig sings, reflecting a nostalgic longing for a time when belief in a higher power provided a sense of purpose or guidance. Now they sense the limits of their control over cosmic forces, and resign to circumstances beyond their control. “Too old for dyin’ young, too young to live alone” captures the paradox of feeling both constrained by age and yearning for independence. This juxtaposition speaks to the universal experience of grappling with mortality and the passage of time. Despite the existential angst expressed throughout the lyrics, there is a glimmer of hope in lines like “Good days are comin'” and “Listen, baby, you don’t have to try.” This suggests a message of acceptance and resilience in the face of life’s uncertainties, urging the listener to find solace in the present moment rather than dwelling on the past or future. This one merits repeat listens – when you’re down and when you’re up.

I’m partial to song titles that aren’t overly on-the-nose. If the name of the song isn’t just the main word in the chorus, and carries some meaning beyond the song itself, it’s a good song title. ‘Gen-X Cops,’ the closing track on the EP, is very on-the-nose. It wears its meaning on its sleeve. Before hitting play, you know what to expect from the song. Then you hit play and a guitar slaps you across the face. We’re off to the races. “Blacken the sky and sharpen the axe, Forever cursed to live unrelaxed.” “Each generation makes its own apology.” “It wasn’t built for me, It’s your academy.” Koenig feels a sense of dissatisfaction and alienation from societal norms and structures. The phrase “Blacken the sky and sharpen the axe, Forever cursed to live unrelaxed” suggests a feeling of perpetual unrest and a desire for change. “Each generation makes its own apology” highlights the cyclical nature of societal wrongdoing and reconciliation – every generation has a responsibility to attempt to right its wrongs. “It wasn’t built for me, It’s your academy” conveys a sense of exclusion and disillusionment with the established order, indicating that the speaker feels marginalized by societal institutions designed by previous generations. The outro emphasizes the idea that societal dynamics are by design, suggesting a recognition of the systemic nature of societal issues. Despite this, there’s a sense of agency in the acknowledgment that each generation has the opportunity to shape its own path and seek reconciliation for past wrongs. We’ve inherited a broken system, Koenig suggests, that was designed by our ancestors, and now we must face the consequences.

It’s as if fame and fortune has given Vampire Weekend an outside perspective on Us – capital “U” Us. Long gone are the days of “do you wanna fuck, cause you know I do,” and now are the days of “we’re all fucked, man.” They wear it well. While many bands grapple with similar issues, few are made up of Oxford-educated English majors, and even fewer have the platform to explore and present these reflections to the world as Vampire Weekend does. It’s a stinging, harsh reflection of our world, but it’s undeniably potent – I see why the album took 5 years to create.

With each passing album, we’ve all grown a little older and perhaps a touch wiser. Yet, the world feels colder, and hope dims a bit more with every news article, every war, every supposed huge-technological-advancement. Amidst this backdrop of uncertainty and disillusionment, Vampire Weekend’s music transcends conventional categorizations and offer us pause and reflection on the current “moment of [our] own” in the centuries. If you can bear it, give it a listen.

Themes, and word repetitions for those interested:

Temporal References: classical (6), year (6), finished (3), time (2), fades (1), future (1), old (1), young (1), centuries (1), moments (1), eternity (1), generations (1) Bleakness and Cruelty: classical (6), tired of trying (3), bleak (2), untrue (2), unkind (2), unnatural (1), cruel (1), sinking feeling (1), nothingness (1), alone (1), wounded (1) Individuality and Identity: Capricorn (4), tryin’ (3), academy (3), apology (3), born (2), curse (2), Brooklyn (2), hospital (1), answers (1), insecurities (1), painted (1), town (1), Jersey (1), Queens (1), DNA (1) Memory and Nostalgia: memory (2), dark side (2), theater (2), money (2), oldest friend (1), departure (1), ways (1), means (1), love (1), city (1), burning (1), pain (1), loving (1) War and Peace: times (2), sunrise (2), war (1), peace (1), educated class (1), baby blues (1), animals (1), walls (1), shacks (1), bridges (1), bodies (1), change (1) Artistic References: theater (2), book (1), hours (1), Russian (1), icons (1), mandalas (1), Natarajas (1), barns (1), churches (1), dervishes (1), exposures (1), tunnels (1), masterpiece (1), author (1), voice (1), sing (1)

Part of speech distribution:

Nouns: war, peace, times, class, baby, animals, sunrise, feeling, nothingness, year, memory, theater, money, friend, departure, city, burning, pain, love, academy, apology, Capricorn, Jersey, Brooklyn, Queens, DNA, darkness, room, masterpiece. (Total: 29 nouns)

Verbs: knew, meet, competing, remains, shake, burn, break, builds, care, tryin’, finished, live, sifting, looked, listened, felt, saw, weren’t, wasn’t, is, taught, make, brings, use, sing. (Total: 25 verbs)

Adjectives: educated, bleak, baby, cruel, classical, clear, single, tired, insecurities, quiet, dark, loving, Russian, oldest, hex-sign, Ando, long, human, own, cursed. (Total: 20 adjectives)

Adverbs: unnaturally, today, really, clearly, forever, eternally, not, so, deeply. (Total: 9 adverbs)

Pronouns: it, you, your, we, I, they, me. (Total: 7 pronouns)

Prepositions: of, for, in, to, from, on, by, with, through, between, inside, among. (Total: 12 prepositions)

Conjunctions: and, but, or, if, when, because, yet, so, while. (Total: 9 conjunctions)

Interjections: oh, my, hey, wow. (Total: 4 interjections)

The full-length album, ‘Only God Was Above Us,’ is set to release April 5th, 2024