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Summer has finally made its long-awaited return to the United Kingdom, with scores of pastey, frightened Brits crawling out of the shadows to cower, twitch and burn in the miracle of British sunshine. Timing their new release perfectly, Vampire Weekend, (New York's finest exporters of tropical-tinged summer-pop) are back with the provide the perfect seasonal soundtrack.
You've already experienced the love-at-first-listen joy from the instant pop gem of 'Diane Young'. It's frenetic rhythms and the madman vocoder tomfoolery of chorus "baybuh, baybuh, baybuh, baybuh - right on time" are going to send many a field wild in the coming months and you'll be glad to hear that the rest of the record follows in that same festival-friendly spirit.
But rather than leaning on the band's quirks which can often prove quite divisive, Modern Vampires of the City hones in on the soul, sass, maturity and melody of Vampire Weekend.
'Finger Back' is driven by the playful quick-fire guitar chops and infectious Afro-beat Peter Gabrielisms that skyrocketed Vampire Weekend to fame in the first place, while the maudlin dirge, military march and haunting choral backing on 'Hudson' probably makes for the biggest departure for the band. Just like with their first two LPs, Modern Vampires has that same 'greatest hits' feel where every track has smash single potential, but the thread that runs through their third album is an emphasis on reflection and analysis.
From the tender waltz of loss on opener 'Obvious Bicycle' and single 'Step' to the laments of religion on the bubbling swoon of album highlight 'Ya Hey' and the angelic ode to youth on closer 'Young Lion', Modern Vampires of the City sees Vampire Weekend wrap their unbeatable pop formula around tales of God, death, life and love.
If that ain't sunshine to your ears, then I don't know what is.
