“The Memories Don’t Fade” – these are the words that begin “Connect”, the 4th track from Vampire Weekend’s 5threcord, “Only God Was Above Us”. This lyric is one of many that encapsulates what this masterpiece of a record is trying to say. It’s an album that is many things at once: A refinement of their past sound, a reflection on nostalgia and the past, a exploration of ones place in the world, and understanding ones family and heritage. Released a year ago as of writing this, it’s a gorgeously complex record, and in my opinion the best record of the 2020’s thus far.
Sonically, the record brings forth a psychedelic chamber rock sound drenched in a vintage late-80’s Manhattan aesthetic. Moments on the record, such as “Prep-School Gangsters” sound like a more developed version of the sound they debut with on classic records such as “Contra” and their 2008 self-titled debut, bringing back a very warm, rhythmic sound and ivy league style. The single “Classical” is another example of this, being one of the best produced rock songs in at least a decade. Other songs, such as singles “Capricorn” and “Mary Boone” bring a sound more reminiscent of their 2013 record “Modern Vampires of the City”. These are more baroque sounding tracks, featuring gorgeous vocal harmonies and ornate instrumentals. The former of these tracks especially reminds me of their 2013 track “Hannah Hunt”, even featuring a similar build-up towards the end. This album sees the band at their most abstract as well, with tracks such as “Pravda” and “Connect” being pristinely psychedelic and unorthodox in their structure both sonically and lyrically.
Speaking on the lyrics of the record, the themes mentioned before are all prominently featured across all 10 tracks. The records NYC aesthetic is painted vividly on personal highlight “The Surfer”. These lyrics paint a vivid picture of city life as a young adult, feeling lost in this sprawling city, having been “born beneath fluorescent lights” and having “never seen a starry night”. The record deals vividly with reflecting on the past and the many lenses through which we can do this. “Pravda” “Ice Cream Piano” and “Prep-School Gangsters” all make references to heritage and family lines, reflecting on both the past and how it impacts the present. Another prominent lyrical theme, that being understanding one’s place in the world, is explored distinctly on “Capricorn” (a song dealing with being born at the end of a year, where you didn’t get to experience this one and the next one isn’t yours) and “Connect”. On the latter, the lyric “Now is it strange I can’t connect?” has always stuck with me since first listen.
Opener “Ice Cream Piano” and closer “Hope” are two distinct moments to talk about, as they bookend the record rather nicely. “Ice Cream Piano” opens the record quietly with the lyric “F**k the World” serving as the albums memorable intro. The builds up until exploding around 80 seconds into the song. It’s an angrier cut from the band, having a fast pace and introducing the key sounds and themes present here. “Hope”, the records almost 8-minute closing track, contrasts this opener nicely. This is a song more menacing in its scope and instrumental, being arguably the darkest track here and providing a darker ending to the record following the solemn end of “Pravda”. The lyric “I hope you let it go” is repeatedly said throughout, other than one swap for “I had to let it go”. The song paints a picture of losing hope and letting a cause go, becoming bleaker and more personal as the song progresses. Its arguably the most powerful moment on the record – or the entire Vampire Weekend discography.
“Only God Was Above Us” is a masterpiece, plain and simple. Sonically it is one of the most well produced records ever released, a pristinely baroque and psychedelic slab of chamber rock. Lyrically, the record is a refinement and maturation of themes that the band has dealt with previously and that hit me very hard at this stage in my life. It manages to be deeply personal and reflective while equally being just plain fun. These are some of the most fun and enjoyable songs that the band has ever made (“Classical” and Prep-School Gangsters” stand out in this regard) while also featuring some of their most reflective and darkest moments yet (“The Surfer”, “Connect”, “Pravda” and Hope”). There is not one weak moment on this record, it arguably gets better with every song. One year later, the album has not once left my rotation, and I do not see this changing anytime soon. Do yourself a favor and listen to this masterpiece asap, regardless of if you have heard it or not. I’m happy with this being my first 10 for the paper, it’s a true masterpiece in every sense of the word.
Highlights: All Tracks