It’s been almost six years since Vampire Weekend released their last album, Modern Vampires of the City, and after much teasing of new material by front man Ezra Koenig, the band has released two new singles titled “Harmony Hall” and “2021.”
The singles premiered after little buildup on Thursday, January 24 and indicate a sound not too dissimilar from the widely well-received production of Modern Vampires. “Harmony Hall” is the lengthier track, with a primarily acoustic arrangement and a lyrical refrain borrowed from Modern Vampires track “Finger Back.”
The song includes contributions from Danielle Haim of Haim, Dave Longstreth of the Dirty Projectors and folk guitarist Greg Leisz.
This album also marks the first Vampire Weekend release since the departure of founding member and frequent producer Rostam Batmanglij. During an interview with Beats 1, Koenig announced that Batmanglij had contributed to “Harmony Hall”.
In an interview with NPR, Koenig divulged more about the album and its songs. According to Keonig, the other, shorter single, “2021” is built around a sample of a piece of music that Yellow Magic Orchestra member Haruomi Hosono had composed for the Japanese retail chain Muji in the 1980s.
Koenig had previously said the new album might be called Mitsubishi Macchiato, and that it would be “more springtime” than the last album. While the springtime theme appears to have carried, the title has not. On January 17, in an Instagram post, Koenig announced that the album’s initials are FOTB , it’s about 59 minutes long, and there will be two-song singles released every month until the album premieres.
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The band has subsequently announced that the album is titled Father of the Bride. The album was produced by Ariel Rechtshaid, who also helmed the Modern Vampires of the City, and is scheduled to be released in the spring via Columbia. “Harmony Hall” and “2021” are currently available on all streaming platforms, and to purchase via iTunes and Amazon.
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