Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride

i love a lot of it and it's still kinda frustrating how messy the sequencing is

yeah it's a very jumpy experience it's true tho idk how much of it is a sequencing problem and how much of it is a "putting some not great songs on the album" problem

Honestly, I think it hangs together pretty well if you just omit “My Mistake”

this is a nice springtime record i will say

The tracks that have lead features are the worst. I assume the lack of rostam generated insecurities.

Ezra = still beautiful though, despite reef sandals

Sympathy is the only one I skip. I love My mistake (esp the trumpet part).
Yes, the sequencing is a bit weird, esp the opening, but I don’t really listen to albums in sequence so who cares

just teasing, Alfred

and what's your point, sailor?

― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, May 24, 2019 9:59 PM (two days ago)

it's annoying and you should stop

No more than anyone else. If you're unsure about your opinions, then it's your problem.

What a bizarre thing to complain about on a message board.

I like this album a lot and still listen to it regularly but somehow, the main effect this whole release campaign has had on me is making me rediscover... Dylan's "Jokerman" (and the accompanying album) !

I was surprised to hear Ariel Rechtshaid refer to Ya Hey as a reggae song. It doesn't feel reggae at all to me. Am I mad?

hum. It is a little, yeah. The bassline/rhythm.
Even Ezra's delivery, actually !

And the namedrop 'Israelites'

yes, of course !

Basically, if you just throw in the typical reggae guitar rhythmic lick, you get a reggae song.

(And the shaker plays that guitar rhythm)

Actually « Gold Rush » is a reggae too !

What a bizarre thing to complain about on a message board.

― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 27 May 2019 12:49 (five hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Basically, if you just throw in the typical reggae guitar rhythmic lick, you get a reggae song.

― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, May 27, 2019 3:29 PM (two days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I can imagine that "chick-eh" guitar part but without it I just feel it as four on the floor, references to Babylon and "The Israelites" notwithstanding.

Oh I agree. Before that mention upthread I had never thought of that song as a reggae song.
But now, with that in mind, I can't hear it another way !
If you consider the shaker's rhythm, the drums that has a reggae groove, not a disco type 4 on the floor, the use of the reverb and most importantly, the syncopated bass line on the verses and Ezra's delivery and pronounciation (+ the lexical field :zion, babylon, israelites...), it's clear !
Actually, it's a pretty amazing production/arrangements to make a reggae song that no-one will notice...

maybe i'd find the groove on "ya hey" less awkward if they'd committed to the reggae thing on it more strongly, i can hear what they were going for now but it doesn't quite get there for me

Finally listened to this last night and it was nice but sorta breezed by without catching my attention much. Last track is great.

Saw them in Dublin on Monday and they were absolutely excellent. Great set mixing all four records. None of the duets.

I've found a kind of chamber version of "This Life" on Spotify which is minor but still very charming and different from the original version.
Also, I have watched their Glastonbury set on youtube and it's pretty good.
The highlights for me were the brilliant intro to "White Sky" and the version of "Jerusalem, NY, Berlin" with the long outro.
I love the album version but that final bit adds something very moving.
They didn't play a lot from FotB though (but surprisingly opened with "Sympathy").

The White Sky intro is absolutely fucking great! They opened with 6/7 minute version of Sunflower in Dublin, which was whopper.

Yeah, they played that version of Sunflower at Roskilde as well. Missed White Sky :(

About "White Sky" : yeah, the moment you realize what song they are playing is pure joy !

Seeing them at MSG tomorrow. They are doing a free livestream of it

saw them last night - great show. they played a streets of philadelphia cover the crowd loved it

I’m guessing maybe they play a Billy Joel cover tonight

They seem to be big into Springsteen these days. They've covered "I'm Going Down" and "Atlantic City," and Koenig said he wanted FOTB to feel kind of like The River.

also seeing them at the garden tonight.

the album holds up really well imo.

this rainy friday afternoon is also the first time i've really embraced the mccartney-esque schmaltz of 'my mistake'

live stream was only available in the US ffs

Awesome show !

indeed it was, they did a good job of stretching out their songs for a live setting. helps to have virtuosos on the guitar and keys.

https://youtu.be/GXzfOsuyATc

they sound incredible as a live band these days

yes, really one of the best sounding shows i've seen in a big venue.

man, that msg show is some serious well-oiled machine shit. wow.

(i mean that in a good way)

Hot take: this is their second-best record (after Modern Vampires). I love how heartfelt and touching the whole thing is.. the run from Flower Moon to Spring Snow is a rollercoaster of emotion for me

Ah, I just went back to it yesterday after a few months.
Still good but I wasn't really in the mood for it so finally I went back to MVOTC instead.
For me it would be MVOTC/VW first, depending on the mood I'm in (moody or jolly) then FOTB then Contra.

I think it’s probably my least favorite of their records but it has some joints. J/NY/B probably their best closer

i’d agree with that. def their worst record

it's a lot better than mvotc which is easily their worst

not the biggest fan but really dig this life

Yeah, "J/NY/B" and "This Life" (and maybe "Married in a Gold Rush") are the best songs on this one and among their best work.

There's a really annoying song by probably Maroon 5 on the radio that plays on Pachelbel but if it had been done by VW I'd probably like it