Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us (April 5, 2024) • Page 14

Yea absolutely not. Alligator is their best album.

 

well, no

 

I’m curious if you’re younger. I ask mainly because it seems like this band as different kinds of fans. I was in high school when Alligator came out, was a big deal. So I could see a younger generation of fans gravitating towards the later records, which imo are the very definition of diminishing returns. They lost me after SWB. They’ve just been around so long now that it’s something I’m starting to consider when it comes to these 00’s indie rock bands.

 

I’m 35. IAETF just came out at a very particular point in my life and I connected with it heavily. I think the 2 records from last year are decent. Sleep well beast does nothing for me really. The run of boxer - high violet - trouble will find me is their peak.

 

IAETF is pretty weak for a National album but it has a few good songs.

 

lmao oldddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

 

Same, but 36. Just know my question wasn’t meant to be condescending, was genuinely curious. For the record do like a lot of songs on that record. I think it’s overstuffed and just treads ground and the female vocalist thing feels more like a stagnant gimmick.

 

Man I was here hard for the IAETF love but hv and trouble over alligator is wild to me

 

Boxer >

 

Not to solidify this as the National ranking thread but as time goes on and my obsession w them gets further in the past, I’m coming around to there not being a close second to boxer. Like/love basically every record but that one is streets ahead

 

trouble is my favorite national record by a wide margin

 

I feel like that’s a pretty popular take?

 

I think Boxer and Alligator are in tier 1. Everything else can get in line behind those 2.

 

Trouble Will Find Me is the best National album.

 

what thread is this again

 

VW!

 

oh ok this thing just gets GOING. ice cream piano is so good lol

 

i never know what thread i'm in tbf

 

I think one thing is for certain, this is Ezra’s shining moment as a lyricist.

 

Connect is the one so far.

 

There’s so many callbacks to past records. Obviously something they’ve done before, but it’s so smart, it’s really tied everything together. Lyrically, musically, it’s really rewarding to catch those things. Dying young. The mansard roof drums. Harmony Hall/Finger Back. Bits of melody. Etc etc.

 

I literally felt like this when the mansard roof drums happened

 

I don't put much stock in the Pfork scores, but I do enjoy the thoughtful write-ups. This one is worth a read after listening to the record. When you listen through the first time you make connections to the VW mythology and this article hits all the really important parts imo.

 

enjoyed the album on my first listen - it's pretty dense for them. will need to return a few times to let it sink in. really enjoyed Prep School Gangsters and The Surfer. the end of Pravda is also dope.

 

So much of this shouldn’t work but it does. Great album.