By Gareth O’Malley (@elegiacstanzas) (thanks anon for the tip!)

So far, the new Vampire Weekend record is a pretty clear attempt to distance themselves from the Graceland-isms on their first two records.

Obvious Bicycle is a surprisingly mellow way to kick things off; piano-driven, but with noticeably darker lyrics and broader scope. Absolutely brilliant harmonies during the bridge too.

Unbelievers: organ hook, pounding beat, massive chorus. Features a flute during the bridge (no, seriously). A bridge between old and new VW.

Don’t Lie: there’s an R&B kind of feel to the verses, emphasis placed on Chris’s drums. Two-part chorus going on, plenty of violins.

Hannah Hunt: XL should release this as the next single. It’s a mid-tempo song that’s absolutely gorgeous, with the spotlight on Ezra’s vocals. He doesn’t need to hide behind effects like he does to some extent on the two singles. Highlight of the album so far.

Everlasting Arms: Sounds like a song that could have been released as a stop-gap between Contra and MVOTC. It’s a love song (called it!), but is an uptempo song which features some excellent use of percussion and keyboards, the latter of which provides an excellent bassline. Props must be given for the string-laden coda, as well.

Finger Back: More big-sounding drums, with Ezra’s affected vocals back in full force. Sounds like a natural successor to California English, albeit without that godawful autotune. Features the kind of chorus that’ll be going around in your head for days.

Worship You: The album’s on an uptempo streak now; rolling drums and a 100mph vocal delivery from Ezra lead into a stunning chorus. This will go down extremely well in the bigger venues VW have moved into: I can see thousands singing the refrain back at him.

Ya Hey: Probably the most expansive-sounding VW song so far. You’ll probably have heard the live version kicking about, and the studio one is even better. They even manage to fit in a fucking choir somewhere. There are some chipmunk-ish backing vocals during the chorus that will be an acquired taste, but I quite like them.

Hudson: There’s a wholly unexpected electronic undercurrent to this, glitchy rhythms combining with an ominous synth bassline, the tension bolstered by another appearance of the choir. The final chorus might be my new fav VW moment - bass, drums, choir, harmonies and all.

Young Lion: short and sweet keyboard-led song to close, with AMAZING three-part harmonies and that choir in the background again, closing an ambitious album on a surprisingly serene note. It’s more busy than before, and slightly less immediate, but this album is the one which I wanted the Vampire Weekend of 2013 to make. They’re ready to move on, and hopefully their fans will move on with them.