Vampire Weekend were formed by students at Columbia University. Frontman Ezra Koenig named the project after a vampire movie he started making in college. The group were interested in African music and punk rock, influences that are clear on their 2008 debut record.
The band have only released five albums over sixteen years, resulting in an impressively consistent catalogue. None of their albums are disappointing, just different shades of enjoyable. They’ve withstood the loss of keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij, and a fourth album that was essentially a Koenig solo project.
Vampire Weekend recently released their fifth album. They celebrated by playing the first tour date on Ezra Koenig’s fortieth birthday during a solar eclipse. How does it rank among their other records?
Vampire Weekend Albums Ranked
#5 Contra
2010
Vampire Weekend’s second album isn’t really a sophomore slump. It merely trades some of the energy for the debut for more subtlety. It is their most interesting album lyrically, exploring issues of class and privilege.
Musically, the record never surpasses the opening track ‘Horchata’. I appreciate the shoutout to Fairport Convention’s ‘Matty Groves’, one of my favourite songs, at the beginning of ‘Holiday’. Even if Contra is Vampire Weekend’s least interesting album, it still has a cohort of supporters.
#4 Vampire Weekend
2008
Vampire Weekend were distinctive and successful from the beginning. They described their musical style on their debut album as “Upper West Side Soweto,” melding Afropop influences with indie and chamber pop. It sounds like an odd mix, but it works. It helps that the band’s material is hooky, and their interests are eclectic.
The African guitars are front and centre on tracks like ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’. But there are plenty of other ideas – the strings in ‘M79’ and the electronics on ‘One (Blake’s Got A New Face)’ showcase a band with varied interests. The band have released stronger albums since, but if Vampire Weekend was their only record they’d be fondly remembered.
#3 Only God Was Above Us
2024
The record was unsuccessful in the US, charting a solitary week at #27. But that’s no reflection on its quality.
A decade and another Vampire Weekend record separate them. But Only God Was Above Us is effectively the sequel to Modern Vampires of the City. It expands the sound of its predecessor, leaving more space for innovative textures like the choir of ‘Mary Boone’.
Only God Was Above Us is like an emotional journey toward the light. The record starts with Koenig declaring “f*** the world, you said it quiet” and ends with the optimistic singalong ‘Hope’.
#2 Father of the Bride
2019
Vampire Weekend’s other albums follow a logical progression. They expand their sound and increasingly lean into studio techniques. But their fourth album, Father of the Bride, doesn’t fit the pattern. It’s more like an Ezra Koenig solo album, with simple arrangements. The band’s usual rhythm section, bassist Chris Baio and drummer Chris Tomson, are absent. Instead, Koenig’s key collaborators are producer Ariel Rechtshaid and Danielle Haim.
Haim duets with Koenig on three key tracks and also provides harmony vocals on the lead single ‘Harmony Hall’. Other highlights include the short, but perfectly formed, ‘Bambina’ and the spare tracks that close the record.
Koenig is married to actress Rashida Jones, the daughter of legendary producer Quincy Jones. I guess that makes him the Father of the Bride.
#1 Modern Vampires of the City
2013
Vampire Weekend reinvented themselves with their third album. Producer Ariel Rechtshaid told Electronic Musician “Whenever we came up with something familiar sounding, it was rejected”. It’s narrower in focus than their eclectic first two records. But it’s just as unique, with its distinctive chamber pop sound coming from recording quirks like their drum setup and use of harpsichord. If the description of chamber pop makes Modern Vampires sound calm and mannered, it’s often percussive and propulsive.
Modern Vampires of the City was the group’s last record with keyboardist Rostam Batmangli, who co-wrote all of these tunes. It’s notable for hooky, memorable songs like ‘Step’, ‘Diane Young’, and ‘Everlasting Arms’.
Did I underrate your favourite Vampire Weekend record?
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The American album charts (specifically, the Billboard 200 Album Chart) are ridiculous anymore. Good albums like Vampire Weekend’s “Only God Was Above Us” and The Black Keys’ “Ohio Players” appear on the chart, then abruptly fall off after only one week, while albums by hip hop, country and mainstream monster acts like Taylor Swift, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, Bad Bunny and Morgan Wallen, as well as old classics like Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” and CCR’s greatest hits compilation “Chronicle” spend years.
It’s especially weird for Vampire Weekend, where all their albums apart from the debut had topped the charts. Seems pretty sudden.
Feels like a band that would do way better if the charts were purely physical sales.
Yes all good choices. Great band. Thanks G
One of those bands where you could argue for any order, I think.
I vaguely remember seeing Vampire Weekend’s new album pop up while doing research for my weekly new music post at the beginning of April. While based on that first and brief encounter I know way too little about the band to specifically comment on your ranking, I commend you for taking the effort to listen to all their albums and rank them – and all the other artists whose albums you’ve ranked, for that matter!
I realize not all catalogs are created equal, and listening to each of Vampire Weekend’s studio albums is more feasible than Bob Dylan or The Rolling Stones. Still, going through even just five albums and ranking them takes time.
Dylan and Stones seem feasible, both slowed down after their primes. Van Morrison and Neil Young seem tricky – they’ve both kept cranking out an album a year.
I’ve listened to them during the week because of this post…I really like their music and was thrilled to hear a harpsichord. The songs are really likeable and yea…they should do better over here. Before last week I’d never heard of them…good though. I’ve bookmarked some for future listening.
Thanks for listening. They’re pretty top tier in terms of 21-century guitar-based music, I think. They’ve found some distinctive new sounds, and have some memorable songs.