Only God Was Above Us | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 5, 2024 | |||
Recorded | 2021–2023 [a] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 47:00 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer | ||||
Vampire Weekend chronology | ||||
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Singles from Only God Was Above Us | ||||
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Only God Was Above Us is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released on April 5, 2024, through Columbia Records. It marks the third collaboration between the band and their longtime producer Ariel Rechtshaid. It is also the first album recorded by the band as a trio of vocalist-guitarist Ezra Koenig, bassist Chris Baio and drummer Chris Tomson after the 2016 departure of keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij; 2019's Father of the Bride , the first post-Batmanglij Vampire Weekend album, was created and promoted by Koenig as a solo project with Baio and Tomson only involved for the album's tours. [2] It received universal acclaim from music critics.
Ezra Koenig began to write the lyrics for Only God Was Above Us between 2019 and 2020, while primary recording sessions took place over the following years [3] in Manhattan, Los Angeles, London and Tokyo. [4] The album was co-produced by Koenig and the band's longtime collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid, [5] with additional production by the band's drummer, Chris Tomson, and former band member Rostam Batmanglij. [6] It was mixed by Dave Fridmann and mastered by Emily Lazar. [7]
The project draws artistic inspiration from a 20th-century New York City aesthetic. [1] The album's title is derived from the headline of a May 1, 1988 New York Daily News article, as shown in the album's artwork photographed by Steven Siegel. [8] This article recounts the incident involving Aloha Airlines Flight 243, in which a structural failure caused the aircraft's roof to be torn off mid-flight. The phrase "Only God was above us" was quoted from one of the passengers. [9]
In a press release, Only God Was Above Us was described as "direct yet complex", showcasing the band at its grittiest, most beautiful, and melodic. [10] The first two singles from the album, "Capricorn" and "Gen-X Cops", were released on February 16, 2024, alongside two music videos. [5]
Only God Was Above Us was released on April 5, 2024. To celebrate the release of the album, the band began the album's tour at the Moody Amphitheater in Austin, Texas on April 8, Koenig's fortieth birthday, during a total solar eclipse. [8] During the tour's encores, they played improvised covers of songs requested by the audience. [11]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2024) |
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 88/100 [12] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [13] |
Clash | 8/10 [14] |
Exclaim! | 8/10 [15] |
The Independent | [16] |
Mojo | [17] |
musicOMH | [18] |
NME | [19] |
The Observer | [20] |
Pitchfork | 8.6/10 [21] |
Under the Radar | 9/10 [22] |
Only God Was Above Us received acclaim from critics. On Metacritic, the album has a weighted average score of 88 out of 100, based on 23 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [12]
Pitchfork gave the album a score of 8.6 out of 10, as well as the site's "Best New Music" designation. The site's Matthew Strauss wrote in his review, "Only God Was Above Us is [also] the most honest album Vampire Weekend have made, an encapsulation of what the band does best, melodic and abstruse in Koenig's own masterful way." [21]
Publication/critic | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
AllMusic | AllMusic Best of 2024 | — | [23] |
Billboard | Staff List: The 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 19 | [24] |
Daily Mail | Top 10 Albums of 2024 | 5 | [25] |
Entertainment Weekly | The 10 Best Albums of 2024 | — | [26] |
The Guardian | The 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 35 | [27] |
The Independent | The Best Albums of 2024, Ranked | 3 | [28] |
Mondo Sonoro | Los Mejores Discos Internacionales de 2024 | 14 | [29] |
The Needle Drop | Anthony Fantano's Top 50 Albums of 2024 | 9 | [30] |
The New Yorker | The Best Albums of 2024 | 9 | [31] |
The New York Times | Jon Pareles's Best Albums of 2024 | 3 | [32] |
Lindsay Zoladz's Best Albums of 2024 | — | [33] | |
Paste | The 100 Best Albums of 2024 | 71 | [34] |
The Philadelphia Inquirer | Best Pop Music Albums of 2024 | — | [35] |
Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 26 | [36] |
PopMatters | The 80 Best Albums of 2024 | 66 | [37] |
Rolling Stone | The 100 Best Albums Of 2024 | 43 | [38] |
The Skinny | The Skinny's Albums of 2024 | 14 | [39] |
Slant | The 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 6 | [40] |
Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 37 | [41] |
The Sunday Times | The 25 Best Albums of 2024 — the Critics’ Choice, Ranked | 12 | [42] |
Time Out | The Best Albums of 2024 | 7 | [43] |
Uncut | Top 80 Best Albums of 2024 | 66 | [44] |
Uproxx | The Best Albums Of 2024 | — | [45] |
Steven Hyden's Favorite Albums Of 2024 | 17 | [46] | |
Variety | The Best Albums of 2024 | — | [47] |
Vogue | The 36 Best Albums of 2024 | — | [48] |
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Pitchfork | 100 Best Albums of the 2020s So Far | 98 |
The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 27, their first album to miss the top 20. It also lasted a solitary week on the chart. [50]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ice Cream Piano" | 3:36 | |
2. | "Classical" | Koenig | 4:19 |
3. | "Capricorn" | Koenig | 4:08 |
4. | "Connect" | Koenig | 5:07 |
5. | "Prep-School Gangsters" | Koenig | 3:48 |
6. | "The Surfer" |
| 5:43 |
7. | "Gen-X Cops" |
| 3:45 |
8. | "Mary Boone" | 4:24 | |
9. | "Pravda" | Koenig | 4:11 |
10. | "Hope" | Koenig | 7:59 |
Total length: | 47:00 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "Broken Washing Machine" |
| 2:43 |
12. | "Gen-X Cops" (acoustic) |
| 3:11 |
Total length: | 66:36 |
Notes
Vampire Weekend
Additional musicians
Production
Artwork
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [51] | 72 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [52] | 18 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [53] | 22 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [54] | 32 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [55] | 64 |
French Albums (SNEP) [56] | 39 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [57] | 25 |
Irish Albums (OCC) [58] | 21 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [59] | 28 |
Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon) [60] | 30 |
Japanese Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [61] | 37 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [62] | 38 |
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [63] | 25 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [64] | 4 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [65] | 34 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [66] | 9 |
UK Albums (OCC) [67] | 11 |
US Billboard 200 [50] | 27 |
US Top Rock & Alternative Albums ( Billboard ) [68] | 8 |
Vampire Weekend is an American rock band formed in New York City in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records. The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chris Tomson, and bassist Chris Baio. Batmanglij departed the group in early 2016 but has continued to occasionally contribute to subsequent albums as a songwriter, producer, and musician.
Vampire Weekend is the debut studio album by American rock band Vampire Weekend, released on January 29, 2008 by XL Recordings. The album was produced by band member Rostam Batmanglij, with mixing assistance from Jeff Curtin and Shane Stoneback. Released after a year of building internet buzz, the album showcased the band's unique hybrid of indie pop, chamber music, and Afropop influences.
Ezra Michael Koenig is an American musician, record producer, and radio personality. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of indie rock band Vampire Weekend. Additionally, Koenig is the creator of the Netflix animated comedy series Neo Yokio and also hosts the Apple Music radio talk show Time Crisis with Ezra Koenig. Time Crisis is airing its tenth season, as of 2024.
"A-Punk" is a song by indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released on February 28, 2008, as the second single from their 2008 self-titled debut album. The band made their network television debut by performing "A-Punk" on the Late Show with David Letterman.
"Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" is the fourth single by indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released 18 August 2008. The song was rated 67th best song of 2008 by Rolling Stone magazine.
Contra is the second studio album by the American rock band Vampire Weekend, produced by band member Rostam Batmanglij and released in January 2010 on XL Recordings. It was preceded by the 2009 singles "Horchata" and "Cousins."
"Cousins" is the first single from Vampire Weekend's second album Contra. It was recorded by the band in Mexico City and debuted a few days later in Guadalajara. The single was released November 17, 2009 and a 7" was released December 15, 2009.
Christopher William Tomson, commonly known by his initials "CT", is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the drummer for New York–based indie rock band Vampire Weekend. He is also the lead vocalist and guitarist for a side project called Dams of the West, for which he writes and records the entirety of its music.
"Giving Up the Gun" is the second single from Vampire Weekend's second album Contra. The song was originally performed by L'Homme Run, a comedic rap duo that featured Vampire Weekend vocalist Ezra Koenig. The video was released February 19, 2010. Koenig got the idea for the song from Noel Perrin's 1979 book titled Giving Up the Gun given to him by his father. It samples the song "Let Down" by Radiohead.
Rostam Batmanglij, known mononymously as Rostam, is an American record producer, musician, singer, songwriter, and composer. He was a founding member of the band Vampire Weekend, whose first three albums he produced. He has been described by Stereogum as one of the greatest pop and indie-rock producers of his generation. Rostam also works as a solo artist and is a member of electro-soul group Discovery. He produced his first number-one album, Vampire Weekend's Contra, when he was 27 years old.
"White Sky" is the fourth single from Vampire Weekend's second album Contra. The single release features three remixes of the song by Basement Jaxx. It is also the first song to be written on Contra, dating back before their debut album was released.
"Run" is a single released by Indie band Vampire Weekend. It is the sixth and final single from their second album Contra, and was released in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2010. There was no music video produced. Lead singer Ezra Koenig said that the song was based on the Bruce Springsteen song, "Born to Run".
Modern Vampires of the City is the third studio album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released on May 14, 2013, by XL Recordings. The group began to write songs for the album during soundchecks on the supporting concert tour for their previous album, 2010's Contra. After a period in which each member explored individual musical projects, they regrouped and continued working on Modern Vampires of the City in 2011. With no deadline in mind, the band brought in an outside record producer for the first time, Ariel Rechtshaid, to record the album.
"Diane Young" is a song by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, taken from their third studio album Modern Vampires of the City. It was released as the lead single from the album on March 19, 2013. A promotional video of the single, which features two Saab 900s burning throughout the duration of the song, was uploaded to Vevo and YouTube on March 18, 2013. The official video to the single was uploaded on June 3, 2013.
"Ya Hey" is a song by American indie pop band Vampire Weekend, taken from their third studio album Modern Vampires of the City. It was released as the second single from the album on May 3, 2013 through XL Recordings. An official music video of the single, featuring the lyrics, was uploaded on May 3, 2013.
"Unbelievers" is a song by American indie pop band Vampire Weekend. Written by the band's lead singer Ezra Koenig and multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, and produced by Ariel Rechtshaid and Batmanglij, the song was released as the third single from their third studio album Modern Vampires of the City in August 2013. The band initially premiered "Unbelievers" in a live performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on October 31, 2012. They also performed the song live on an episode of Saturday Night Live prior to it being released as a single.
"Horchata" is a song by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend. Written by the members of the band and produced by band member Rostam Batmanglij, the song was released as the lead single from their second album Contra on October 5, 2009 via XL Recordings. The single was initially released as a free download on the band's web site. The term "horchata" refers to a traditional beverage often made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, or rice.
"Step" is a song by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend. Written and composed by band members Ezra Koenig and Rostam Batmanglij and produced by Ariel Rechtshaid and Batmanglij, the song was released as the fourth and final single from the band's third studio album Modern Vampires of the City. The song was inspired by American hip hop group Souls of Mischief's song "Step to My Girl".
Father of the Bride is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend. It was released on May 3, 2019, by Columbia Records, as their first album on a major label.
"Capricorn" is a song by American rock band Vampire Weekend, released as the lead single from their fifth studio album Only God Was Above Us. It was released on February 16, 2024, by Columbia Records as a double A-side with "Gen-X Cops", and is the band's first single since 2019's "This Life"/"Unbearably White". The track was written by lead singer Ezra Koenig, and was produced by Koenig and Ariel Rechtshaid.