Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us (2LP Vinyl)

Drawing deep inspiration from New York while being recorded across the globe in cities like NY, LA, London, and Tokyo, Vampire Weekend’s new album was produced by frontman Ezra Koenig, along with longtime collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid. Ezra refers to it as “Dark Side of the Moon meets Paul’s Boutique” (referring to Pink Floyd’s and Beastie Boys’ magnum opuses, respectively).

Titled “Only God Was Above Us,” the album traverses a range of universal subjects, from a deep-seated curiosity about our existence to the pursuit of serenity that comes with embracing what life offers. The project stands out for its straightforward yet intricate nature, embodying the band’s most raw and refined sounds simultaneously. Its melodies are as enchanting as ever, yet it marks their most textured work to date.

The name of the album is directly taken from a piece of its artwork — a photograph by Steven Siegel depicting a subway graveyard in New Jersey from 1988. The promotional campaign intertwines these vintage photographs and video clips from 1980s New York City with fresh visuals of the band.

Tracklist
Ice Cream Piano
Classical
Capricorn
Connect
Prep-School Gangsters
The Surfer
Gen-X Cops
Mary Boone
Pravda
Hope