Teasing your new album with a cryptic ad in The New York Times' classifieds is the kind of thing GaGa might do; it's flashy, it's presumptuous, it's try-hard. And if it was anyone other than Vampire Weekend, we might just have a problem with it. But this is a band who outwardly tugged at the merits of good grammar and punctuation for one of their (and this century's) best tunes, plus singer Ezra Koenig only recently aped all that is Brooklyn Hipster in an episode of (what else?) Girls. Don't be fooled by the tucked-in button-downs; this lot made their name being all smartypants with a wink in their eye.

Given that they mastered the balance of real talk + musical mischief on their classic self-titled debut album and cooked it up even more on their second, Contra, this is the point where Vampire Weekend are supposed to reach the Next Level; Modern Vampires of the City should be bigger and not just in name. Band multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, who co-produced the album with Ariel Rechtshaid, told DS that they threw away what wasn't working "more so than ever before". So, has all the hard work paid off?

'Obvious Bicycle' sets the scene of the city this record represents: New York. Koenig plays God and instructs his people to "listen, don't wait" atop Batmanglij's fruitful piano and a soothing choir out in the distance; you can already sense the splendour. And what would a city be like without religion? It's that which the frontman confronts on the rhythmic 'Unbelievers', wondering: "We know the fire awaits unbelievers... Is this the fate that half the world has planned for me?" It's a bleak look at faith and its conflicts, and a world away from Oxford commas.

'Step', one half of the album's double A-side lead single, is up there with the most affecting songs these have done. Its glistening keys are swanky to hell, but Koenig all grown up and remorseful ("I'm stronger now, I'm ready for the house, I can't do it alone") and the A$AP Rocky-y boom bass conclusion take it somewhere special. One quick hit of the single's other side, 'Diane Young', and bang! The mad-farting synths, the panic-stricken drums, Koenig "baby baby baby"-ing his latest break-up repartee ("You torched a Saab like a pile of leaves, I'd gone to find some better wheels") to warbling Elvis limits; it's simply a one-shot reminder of how adventurous his band are.Â

What Modern Vampires does so convincingly is take from Vampire Weekend's trademark sound and pay it tribute rather than replicate. 'Hannah Hunt' rehires airy tones first heard on their debut and, about two-thirds in, flies into a fresh climate of rapture. The rumbling drums and church organs are back out for 'Finger Back' - the sweet story of an Orthodox Jewish girl who falls for an Arab guy in a New York falafel shop called Jerusalem (wait till Glee gets wind of this) - and make for the best pop moment on here.

Koenig jabbers faster than ever in 'Worship You', while 'Ya Hey' is as full of beans as 'Diane Young'. It drops us in Les Mis-meets-Holy Grail medieval strings and a chorus Batmanglij and bassist Chris Baio help to squeal merrily, all the while the singer stands against his country's identity ("America don't love you, so I could never love you, in spite of everything"). How such a slap-happy song can be so bitter is an achievement.

And if you thought the tales of remorse, religion and fading romance weren't heavy enough, wait for 'Hudson'; a chilling choir and slow-burning melodies recall the death of Henry Hudson, the sea explorer who scouted New York and was left for dead by his crew... So, what an album. Vampire Weekend haven't just reached the Next Level; they've conquered the art of songwriting, created their own city and filled it with heart and intrigue. Never have they been this serious, this fun, this good.

5

Tracks to download: 'Obvious Bicycle', 'Step', 'Don't Lie', 'Hannah Hunt', 'Finger Back', 'Ya Hey'

If you like this, you'll like: Phoenix, Arcade Fire, Haim



Watch the lyric video for Vampire Weekend's 'Step' below:

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