Modern Vampires of the City – Vampire Weekend ★★★★★

Year	Album	Artist	Stars	Score	Genre
2013	Modern Vampires of the City	Vampire Weekend	★★★★★	95	Rock	Indie Pop	Chamber Pop

Listening to Modern Vampires of the City feels like being warmed by the sun at the beach on the first perfectly warm spring morning of the year. Maybe you’re thinking about the job you’re not happy with, or a problem in your personal life, or you’re disenchanted about everything going on in the world. But right now, your head is clear. You’re at peace in nature. You feel like you can be yourself. You’re having a good time. 

Vampire Weekend followed up their charming, catchy 2008 debut record with a sophomore effort in 2010 that showed some growth and continued to define their now recognizable sound,  but fell a little flat. 

In 2013, the band rounded up all the best elements of both to create an album with little fault. Modern Vampires of the City perfects their sunny, upbeat, indie rock style. Rostam Batmanglij refines the baroque chamber elements, sound effects and backing vocals. Ezra Koenig introduces more mature themes lyrically. Most importantly, the record maintains the fun, carefree nature of Vampire Weekend’s first two records that made the band so adored to begin with.  

Modern Vampires of the City doesn’t have any throwaway songs, and the top songs on the album — “Hannah Hunt,” “Diane Young” and “Obvious Bicycle”—are probably the three best tracks across the band’s entire year catalog.