Around five or ten years ago, the band “Vampire Weekend” rose in popularity, gaining a large following among the indie scene. However, for many, Vampire Weekend seemingly fell off the face of the earth after the release of their last album, Modern Vampires of the City, in 2013.
On January 24, 2019, Vampire Weekend released two new singles–”Harmony Hall” and “2021”. The singles are a part of their new album, Father of the Bride.
The two singles, though they sound different from each other, both showcase various aspects of Vampire Weekend’s unique sound
Harmony Hall:
“Harmony Hall”, the perfect reintroduction song that sets the stage for the tone of Vampire Weekend’s up-and-coming album, is a stark juxtaposition of a bright, sanguine melody with existential lyrics. The song opens with cheerful, repetitive acoustic guitar licks, and the bouncing percussion adds to the effect, creating an upbeat sound.
Furthering the springtime motif, the music video parades a collection of insects and nature. Altogether, the song sounds like the springtime — making it the perfect song to represent Vampire Weekend’s rebirth.
“Harmony Hall” represents the perfect, cheerful springtime anthem–that is, until you listen to the lyrics, which touch on themes such as power, wealth, aggression, and existentialism
Together, the combined effects of the lyrics, melody, sound, and music video come together to create a rare, animated, purely Vampire Weekend-esque song that perfectly captures the aesthetic of the band–their descriptive lyrics, their unparalleled, unique melodies, their choice of unique instrumental supplements.
2021:
“2021”, the second released single, differs from anything Vampire Weekend has previously released. Sampling Japanese artist Haruomi Hosono, the short little single is, in one word, weird–but not at all in a bad way.
The song includes 80s style synthesizers which punctuate Ezra Koenig’s light, flowery voice perfectly. The lyrics, much like “Harmony Hall”, artfully describe the passing of time: “Copper goes green/ steel beams go rust”.
In just 1 minute and 38 seconds, “2021” hits hard–an imploration to be remembered. And, seeing that Vampire Weekend successfully recaptured their old sound while still opening up new doors for their future, the band will be remembered.
Following the release of the singles, Vampire Weekend announced a tour supporting their new album, Father of the Bride. The rest of the album is yet to be released, but if the rest of the album is anywhere near as unique and interesting as Harmony Hall and 2021, it will be well worth the six year wait.
