“Father of the Bride” has California sunshine and a whiff of the Grateful Dead, but “Only God Was Above Us” is an occasionally dissonant, dissonant 1980s song. It's an ode to New York City in the 1990s.
That sometimes perplexing tone is quickly set with the first track, “Ice Cream Piano,” which begins with lead singer Ezra Koenig singing an expletive, features a ferocious guitar riff throughout, and ends with a crash of instruments.
“Gen-X Cops” is perhaps the most accessible track on “Only God Was Above Us,” with its driving guitars and catchy refrain, “Each generation has its own apology.” But there are layers to it, just like New York, and it takes some effort to uncover what a song has to offer.
In the “Neither here nor there” category, welcome “Mary Boone” to the list of Vampire Weekend songs named after women. She joins 'Hannah Hunt' and 'Diane Young'.
“Hope,” the album’s mesmerizing best track, clocks in at nearly eight minutes, with swirling, divine sounds punctuated by Koenig’s refrain, “Leave me alone / I hope.” It is both unsettling and comforting at the same time. You let it go. ”
The chaotic energy of “Only God Was Above Us” may be too much for casual Vampire Weekend fans looking to recreate their earlier work. But it's a fascinating evolution for a band that refuses to stay in one place for too long.