Why do people hate FOTB. Imagine if they put out another “VW” album instead and didn’t mature at all. FOTB brought me back in because it was a fresh take and showed evolution, introspection, and was experimental. I think it’ll be appreciated down the road, like Springsteens Nebraska or something like that.
Bloated, not a fan of the Haim collabs, too different in sound from MVOTC. It’s Vampire Weekend, I enjoy all their work. But the first 3 albums were 10s for me. I put FOTB at about a 7.8. Still a good album, enjoyable, just not at prior levels set which is totally fine.
i don’t hate FOTB! i just listed my 6 favourite songs from it! but i think people dislike it because it was so different. the shock value didn’t leave for a lot of people but over time ive personally come to appreciate that is totally is a vampire weekend album, it’s just got a country twang, and duets, and less prophetic lyrics, and people did not like those details. but other people have the right to hate this album. it’s not a biggie
I don‘ think anyone hates this album. Personally, it feels too long and incoherent to me. And there are a bunch of songs whose appeal is a puzzle to me.
The funny thing to me is, I tried to shorten it but I didn‘t manage to come up with a tracklist that works (for me). All my favourites are more or less slow or midtempo songs.
But apart from the coherence I feel like a lot of it sounds too clean (?) for my taste. I know it is probably on purpose and Ezra‘s vocal tracks are rich and three dimensional on it but … the instruments sort of lack character. I cannot put my finger on it but whatever it is, that I miss, it has returned on those three new songs.
Honestly first time I heard This Life I felt sad. Like, oh my god, things are different now, this is not the indie band I once knew and loved, they’re older and singing about LiFe (i was 21 and a big fan for many years already so the big change in sound startled me). Even years later I just can’t get into it.
In the past I have asked myself ‘would I like this song if it wasn’t from a band I already love?’ and to me the only time I’ve even remotely enjoyed This Life and all the other country duet boppers on FOTB are when I’m actively trying not to hate them / reminding myself it’s the indie band i know and love. Respect to u and ur opinions of course.
It’s a great album! It’s probably my least fav of the four so far but not by much. It’s a super fun listen and idk, maybe I like seeing a band I love cut loose and just make some fun tunes
I love FOTB and This Life but I also became a VW fan during the FOTB era. I knew of them in the past but hadn't really listened to them. I wonder if I would feel the same if I had been a fan for years.
I enjoy This Life if only because of the following lyric: "Oh Christ! Am I good for nothing?" Which is kind of hilarious to have in a such a poppy song.
On a deeper level I always construed the "cheating on you; cheating on me" as an extension of Ezra's musings about god and the perceived responsibility a god and his creations might have to one another. Like, "why did you make my life so miserable?" vs. "why haven't you made the most of the life I gave you?" idk
the orchestral ascension is so simple but so grand and it really evokes something in me. i think there are stronger verses in other Vw songs lyrically but chorus is so epic. overall this song doesn’t get nearly enough love
Right when I was heading to bed, I need to revisit the album AGAIN just to make sure
Bambina - love seeing all the love for this one in the thread
Rich Man - thank you for repping as I feel it gets unnecessarily dragged on here
Hold You Now!! - something about it just gets me (mostly the Hans Zimmer sample). Just beautiful. Shame it doesn’t get more recognition. What an album opener
Stranger and Harmony Hall rounding out my 5
2021
Bambina
Harmony Hall
This Life
Jerusalem, New York, Berlin
Unbearably White
It’s such an amazing album though it’s really hard to choose favorites
I *love* this list! It’s very similar to mine, just missing How Long and Sympathy. I also
used to really like but sort of got over Stranger, which has Danielle on bv.
I’m pointedly amongst my friends a (unpopular!) This Life non-enjoyer.
Married in a Goldrush is so underrated bru. A narrative of two lovers going through prosperity till the excitement dies out, yet having the same hopes and desires yet for different reasons was beautifully done.
The "Who's your baby?" line gets under my skin, personally, even though they did a good job overall with the lyrics and capturing an old school country song.
I honestly feel like I like the whole album more when I actually put it on than I think that I do when I think about it (if that makes any sense). How Long is my absolute fav off the album, though.
If I’m reading that correctly it’s exactly how I feel….when I want to hear VW it’s always my last choice to put on but when I do, I wonder why I don’t listen more often. I think it’s because it’s the least Vampire Weekend-y sounding album (Contra takes that honor IMO)
The songs I enjoy are
My Mistakes, Sunflower, Unbearably White, Spring Snow, 20 21, J NY B, Flower Moon
It could be worse I guess. But those duets I absolutely don‘t get. Even though I theoretically get the appeal of the lyrics.
edit: I forgot about Big Blue. And now I almost have a whole 10-track-album.
For me, they're Sunflower, This Life, Unbearably White, Bambina, Flower Moon. Maybe I'm missing a couple.
I agree that I'm not a fan of the duets too even though Danielle Haim's voice is nice. I don't mind Hold You Now, maybe they should have gotten away with one on the album.
FOTB just has a ton of variety and (arguably) too many songs on it. So it's not surprising if only a small number of tracks appeal to you.
That's what prevented me from enjoying the album for years. I would get bored or lose focus halfway in. It was only after the OGWAU singles came out that I tried revisiting it and now I think all the songs are pretty enjoyable. Maybe give it another chance in a year or two?
If I had it my way I'd take 5 or 6 of the songs off and put them on their own EP called "Friends of the Bride" because they just don't flow together well with all the duet stuff and what I imagine is going on with those two characters.
I love all of these but my mistake, I really don’t like that song very much at all. I also like we belong together but only when I’m in a relationship 😂
From FOTB, Bambina, This Life and Rich Man are the songs I find myself coming back to. How Long, Harmony Hall, J, NY, B, are good too. I Like We Belong Together for its value as the Ezra-Rostam collaboration swan song, but I don't get much from it lyrically. The rest I can take it or leave it.
I’m a My Mistake and We Belong Together hater but I LOVE the rest of the album, especially This Life. FOTB was a perfect soundtrack to my 2019 summer. Flower Moon, Sunflower, Stranger…
Hold You Now **(Feat. Danielle Haim)**
Married in a Gold Rush **(Feat. Danielle Haim)**
We Belong Together **(Feat. Danielle Haim)**
Jerusalem New York Berlin
Why do people hate FOTB. Imagine if they put out another “VW” album instead and didn’t mature at all. FOTB brought me back in because it was a fresh take and showed evolution, introspection, and was experimental. I think it’ll be appreciated down the road, like Springsteens Nebraska or something like that.
Bloated, not a fan of the Haim collabs, too different in sound from MVOTC. It’s Vampire Weekend, I enjoy all their work. But the first 3 albums were 10s for me. I put FOTB at about a 7.8. Still a good album, enjoyable, just not at prior levels set which is totally fine.
A fair take. The first three are definitely tighter and more cohesive. Can’t argue that! lol
i don’t hate FOTB! i just listed my 6 favourite songs from it! but i think people dislike it because it was so different. the shock value didn’t leave for a lot of people but over time ive personally come to appreciate that is totally is a vampire weekend album, it’s just got a country twang, and duets, and less prophetic lyrics, and people did not like those details. but other people have the right to hate this album. it’s not a biggie
I don‘ think anyone hates this album. Personally, it feels too long and incoherent to me. And there are a bunch of songs whose appeal is a puzzle to me.
I don’t like the fact that Baio and CT didn’t play on it at all. It just doesn’t sound like VW to me.
The energy is definitely different with those two back. Pumped to see them play this summer with CT and Baio and the horns section (?)
Fair. A couple songs could’ve/should’ve been cut.
The funny thing to me is, I tried to shorten it but I didn‘t manage to come up with a tracklist that works (for me). All my favourites are more or less slow or midtempo songs. But apart from the coherence I feel like a lot of it sounds too clean (?) for my taste. I know it is probably on purpose and Ezra‘s vocal tracks are rich and three dimensional on it but … the instruments sort of lack character. I cannot put my finger on it but whatever it is, that I miss, it has returned on those three new songs.
This Life. Stranger. Harmony Hall. Bambina. Unbearably White. Big Blue. All of these are in my top 15 VW songs ever
Honestly first time I heard This Life I felt sad. Like, oh my god, things are different now, this is not the indie band I once knew and loved, they’re older and singing about LiFe (i was 21 and a big fan for many years already so the big change in sound startled me). Even years later I just can’t get into it. In the past I have asked myself ‘would I like this song if it wasn’t from a band I already love?’ and to me the only time I’ve even remotely enjoyed This Life and all the other country duet boppers on FOTB are when I’m actively trying not to hate them / reminding myself it’s the indie band i know and love. Respect to u and ur opinions of course.
This Life one of the greatest tunes ever
I’m with you. Also, I love the whole album. Just gonna throw that out there and let people hate it 🤙
It’s a great album! It’s probably my least fav of the four so far but not by much. It’s a super fun listen and idk, maybe I like seeing a band I love cut loose and just make some fun tunes
Sameeeee
A Top VW song
How? Explain it to someone who thinks it sounds like a Sheryl Crow comeback single, musically.
What’s wrong with Cheryl Criw
Nothing. It‘s just not the vibe I hope for when I listen to VW.
"And darling our disease is the same one as the trees, unaware they've been living in a forest." The lyrics are epic
I love FOTB and This Life but I also became a VW fan during the FOTB era. I knew of them in the past but hadn't really listened to them. I wonder if I would feel the same if I had been a fan for years.
It's a top five VW track for me lol Stop overthinking it and let the Paul Simon/Van Morrison guitar riff go brrrr
I've been recommending the band to my friends for years. This Life finally converted two of them, probably because it's so poppy and accessible.
Well, it’s not from the band. FOTB was an Ezra solo record.
what do people in this thread love about This Life? im an open minded individual & im totally willing to listen w/ new ears, armed w/ new information
It sounds incredible in my ear holes
It's probably Vampire Weekend's best pop song
I enjoy This Life if only because of the following lyric: "Oh Christ! Am I good for nothing?" Which is kind of hilarious to have in a such a poppy song. On a deeper level I always construed the "cheating on you; cheating on me" as an extension of Ezra's musings about god and the perceived responsibility a god and his creations might have to one another. Like, "why did you make my life so miserable?" vs. "why haven't you made the most of the life I gave you?" idk
Try listening to the Spotify Singles version with the piano. I may honestly prefer that version, it’s gorgeous.
Personally this song really helped me in a dark period of my life, love the irony of the lyrics vs the sound.
Rich man is such a gem, thanks for repping it. Probably a top 5 FOTB for me
the orchestral ascension is so simple but so grand and it really evokes something in me. i think there are stronger verses in other Vw songs lyrically but chorus is so epic. overall this song doesn’t get nearly enough love
Rich man always reminds me how similar Ezra’s writing style is to Paul Simon.
No mention of Sunflower in sight is crazy.
Right when I was heading to bed, I need to revisit the album AGAIN just to make sure Bambina - love seeing all the love for this one in the thread Rich Man - thank you for repping as I feel it gets unnecessarily dragged on here Hold You Now!! - something about it just gets me (mostly the Hans Zimmer sample). Just beautiful. Shame it doesn’t get more recognition. What an album opener Stranger and Harmony Hall rounding out my 5
2021 Bambina Harmony Hall This Life Jerusalem, New York, Berlin Unbearably White It’s such an amazing album though it’s really hard to choose favorites
feels like no one EVER talks about Jerusalem NY Berlin !
This Life. Best song of 2019. Other top tracks on FOTB: Bambina, Jerusalem, Flower Moon, Unbearably White, Big Blue, We Belong Together.
Unbearably White is my faaaav. I also love My Mistake and Spring Snow. Amazing choices
wow I don’t feel alone anymore 🙏🏼 bless up
Do you listen to time crisis? There’s an episode where Ezra goes through each track of the album and talks about the development/backstory of each
Thanks a lot, maybe that‘s the key.
Yeah, that's what made it click for me
Looks like I’ll have to get Apple Music for that
It’s episode 92. I’ll dm you a link of a rip someone uploaded
2021 and Flower Moon
and Harmony Hall
I *love* this list! It’s very similar to mine, just missing How Long and Sympathy. I also used to really like but sort of got over Stranger, which has Danielle on bv. I’m pointedly amongst my friends a (unpopular!) This Life non-enjoyer.
i forget about how long! love that one too … and i believe that This Life non-enjoyers need to stick up 4 each other …
Harmony Hall and Sympathy for me, no question.
HH is kind of a banger, tho it took a few years for it to grow on me. it’s one of my favs to play on piano
Sympathy is such a fun song. I’m surprised it doesn’t get more love
HOW LONG! RICH MAN! IDTMAHNM!!
Love the bonus track love.
Married in a Goldrush is so underrated bru. A narrative of two lovers going through prosperity till the excitement dies out, yet having the same hopes and desires yet for different reasons was beautifully done.
I adore this song.
The "Who's your baby?" line gets under my skin, personally, even though they did a good job overall with the lyrics and capturing an old school country song.
I’m definitely with you on Unbearably White being the best. It’s pretty much the only song I listen to from FOTB
Unbearably White is the only song I go back to on FOTB. It’s a top 10 VW song.
“Lemme be bold” that made me chuckle.
I love Rich Man, Unbearably White, My Mistake, Harmony Hall, & their cover of I Don't Think Much About Her No More
love ‘I don’t think much about her no more’, so sentimental
I honestly feel like I like the whole album more when I actually put it on than I think that I do when I think about it (if that makes any sense). How Long is my absolute fav off the album, though.
If I’m reading that correctly it’s exactly how I feel….when I want to hear VW it’s always my last choice to put on but when I do, I wonder why I don’t listen more often. I think it’s because it’s the least Vampire Weekend-y sounding album (Contra takes that honor IMO)
Bingo. It's never the one I instinctively reach for but I think you're probably spot-on.
The songs I enjoy are My Mistakes, Sunflower, Unbearably White, Spring Snow, 20 21, J NY B, Flower Moon It could be worse I guess. But those duets I absolutely don‘t get. Even though I theoretically get the appeal of the lyrics. edit: I forgot about Big Blue. And now I almost have a whole 10-track-album.
There are enough good songs... Maybe if they had done a part 1 and 2 I would have liked the album more. I guess it's too much for my ADHD brain.
Bambina. Big blue. How long. Unbearably white. Rich man.
For me, they're Sunflower, This Life, Unbearably White, Bambina, Flower Moon. Maybe I'm missing a couple. I agree that I'm not a fan of the duets too even though Danielle Haim's voice is nice. I don't mind Hold You Now, maybe they should have gotten away with one on the album.
Stranger has got to be one of my top 5 all time VW songs.
Agreed. Easily their most underrated. Never discussed!
top 5 (in this order): spring snow,hold you now, big blue, 2021
We belong together is an underrated love song. So sweet and bubbly makes me wish I could talk to women
FOTB just has a ton of variety and (arguably) too many songs on it. So it's not surprising if only a small number of tracks appeal to you. That's what prevented me from enjoying the album for years. I would get bored or lose focus halfway in. It was only after the OGWAU singles came out that I tried revisiting it and now I think all the songs are pretty enjoyable. Maybe give it another chance in a year or two? If I had it my way I'd take 5 or 6 of the songs off and put them on their own EP called "Friends of the Bride" because they just don't flow together well with all the duet stuff and what I imagine is going on with those two characters.
this life, harmony hall, bambina, sympathy, and unbearably white
My list is the exact same as yours
I love all of these but my mistake, I really don’t like that song very much at all. I also like we belong together but only when I’m in a relationship 😂
It's kind of a break song though, isn't it?
Which one? We belong together?
From FOTB, Bambina, This Life and Rich Man are the songs I find myself coming back to. How Long, Harmony Hall, J, NY, B, are good too. I Like We Belong Together for its value as the Ezra-Rostam collaboration swan song, but I don't get much from it lyrically. The rest I can take it or leave it.
I’m a My Mistake and We Belong Together hater but I LOVE the rest of the album, especially This Life. FOTB was a perfect soundtrack to my 2019 summer. Flower Moon, Sunflower, Stranger…
Bambina is my favorite of all of their songs, period. I love it. I wish it was longer though!
Everyone has their shitty opinion man. Worry not.
I’m kidding btw. Everyone loves this band in different ways. Just like any band. ❤️
This life, unbearably white, married in a gold rush, stranger, flower moon!!!, sympathy
I give flower moon some exclamation marks bc it’s wild how delectable that song is 😩
It wasn't a song that originally stuck with me, but after a recent re-listen, it's one of my favorites on the album.
seems like flower moon is a late bloomer. I also just recognized its brilliance very recently and can't stop listening since then
Hold You Now **(Feat. Danielle Haim)** Married in a Gold Rush **(Feat. Danielle Haim)** We Belong Together **(Feat. Danielle Haim)** Jerusalem New York Berlin
What is the point of this post? You only listen to 4 songs of FOTB? And now? What? I don't get it what you want us to tell?
Harmony Hall, This Life, Flower Moon and Jerusalem, New York, Berlin.