Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires Of The City: All 12 Tracks Reviewed & Analysed

5. Don't Lie

A relaxing, but not light listen, 'Don't Lie' has drums that sound like anvils are pounding on the set, Koenig shines over the backbeat, going low and high with falsetto, pleading honesty. This track features the line, "There's a headstone right in front of you," which matched with the track's title, matches a darker side to things, pleading to not lie because you're going to live your life with that consciousness until you die. Deeper than most lines like "Who gives a f*ck about an Oxford comma?" or "Me and my cousins and you and your cousins." Koenig takes marks from authors and unearths the realities of life all over this LP, where before it was a fun time and finding a sense of humor in everything. It is vital to notice this characteristic of Modern Vampires of the City, otherwise you're missing a major part of it. The aformentioned line in 'Don't Lie' makes it ever apparent.

rating: 4

6. Hannah Hunt

Grab some tissues. This track just might make you cry. Sparse and melodious, Koenig tells a tale of a girl he never got to know and envisions a life with her through a heartfelt song. You'd never get the feeling that he never was with her, because there's literally too much emotion placed on this track to take in - Koenig even belts out a high-pitched scream later in the song to intensify it all even more. The music is quiet and simmering, waiting to ramp it up to match the upcoming vocal from Koenig and it all comes together like a dream - no one could pull this off this well and get away with it. Vampire Weekend succeed in doing so and leave all of us listening to one of the better songs of 2013, if you can get past the absolutely tear-jerking tone.

rating: 5

7. Everlasting Arms

Mentioning the chandelier on the band's first album cover, 'Everlasting Arms' flows nicely throughout, keeping a solid tone of honesty. Koenig just wants to be her everlasting arms, and doesn't want to be trapped beneath the chandelier that's going down. Other than the chorus, there's a surprisingly focused string section throughout that really shines on this track, although strings are prevalent throughout. Killer harmonies, minimally groovy bass, and a heavy drum section permeate throughout in a nice, clean way that is enjoyable and a great album cut.

rating: 4

8. Finger Back

Fast-paced and exciting, Koenig spits out word after word in a hurried rush, over a organ/synth line. The band finds a lot of interesting tones to fit into a oddball tune, which does a spoken word section in a quieter part of the song. Elsewhere, the track is as frenetic as Modern Vampires gets. This track isn't something that's invasive or imperative, but it is a nice track on an important album in an age that doesn't have too many important albums.

rating: 3.5