The Perils Of Progress

On May 14, 2013, Vampire Weekend released their their album, Modern Vampires of the City.

It's good. It's closer to really good than pretty good. What I'm surprised at is how similar it is to their previous two albums.

Their debut self-titled album came out five years ago. Contra followed in 2010. The songs from all three feel like they might have been recorded at the same session.

My initial reaction to this was it was a bad thing. But is it?

- - -

Brand New has released four albums. Their first record, Your Favorite Weapon, is full of simple, poppy songs that are just about perfect. The album came out in 2001 and I still listen to it today. I can put "Soco Amaretto Lime" on repeat for an hour and "The No Seatbelt Song" still gives me goosebumps.

In 2003, their second album showed that they weren't content to make the same music. Deja Entendu is a better album, full of layered structures and texture not commonly heard on radio singles. This was real progress.

They continued down this path in 2006 with The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, but to less success. The songs are more layered, but less accessible. Gone are any resemblances to hooks or the snappiness that punctuated their debut.

By Daisy in 2009, it was all texture, all filler.

- - -

I would absolutely love a brand new Brand New album in the same vein as Deja Entendu. But I would be equally happy with 12 new songs that sound like Your Favorite Weapon. 

- - -

Panic at the Disco gave us an incredible first album, again poppy, snappy, something fresh. But then followed it up with Pretty. Odd., one of the best albums I've ever heard.

So I had high hopes for the evolution of their third album, Vices & Virtues. It was flat. As if it was the cutting room floor of Pretty. Odd. 

- - -

So that brings me back to Vampire Weekend. Their songs sound the same. Some new chords, some new lyrics. Same old stuff. It's a little disappointing that they're giving me what I know, and not something better. But at least they're not giving me something worse.