During the six years between
Modern Vampires of the City
and
Father of the Bride
, things that seemed essential to
Vampire Weekend
changed drastically. Founding member
Rostam Batmanglij
left to pursue his solo career, while
Ezra Koenig
left the East Coast to settle in Los Angeles. These shifts in lineup and location are just a few of the changes
take in stride on their fourth album. After reaching peak musical and lyrical density on
, they're reborn with a West Coast perspective and pace on
, giving all 18 of its songs more room for their novelistic detail and surprising juxtapositions. It's easier to hear and feel where the band is coming from, in large part because
Koenig
's songwriting is clearer than ever. Falling in love with
Kacey Musgraves
' music inspired him to emphasize his characters' emotional histories, and even on a highly structured song like "Unbearably White," the sorrow of an impending breakup has more impact than the clever wordplay. The band makes the most of
Musgraves
' influence on their duets with
Danielle Haim
, whose supple vocals add richness to "Hold You Now" and the bubbling electro-country of "Married in a Gold Rush," a tale of a hurried relationship that deepens with each verse. Along with
Haim
,
worked with collaborators both familiar -- at this point,
Ariel Rechtshaid
is an honorary member of the band -- and new. One of their most exciting partnerships is with
the Internet
's
Steve Lacy
, who contributes to the brilliant psych-soul of "Sunflower." Elsewhere,
's musical allusions are equally audacious; like California itself, their fusion of country, electro, folk, R&B, and pop is equally rustic and plastic. "Sympathy"'s charging riffs owe as much to flamenco as they do to
the Doobie Brothers
' "Long Train Runnin'"; just a few songs later, the band samples
Haruomi Hosono
's ambient electronic track "Watering a Flower" on "2021." These wide-ranging sounds reflect the ambiguity that
skillfully uses to express the complexities of 21st century life. On the standout "This Life," the band pairs words full of existential doubt with music that snaps its fingers, and when
borrows the line "I don't wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die" from the
Modern Vampires
track "Finger Back" and sets it to gospel-tinged pop that evokes
the Rolling Stones
' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" on "Harmony Hall," it sounds strangely liberating. As the album comes to a close, the band offers a few moments of unmitigated joy. "Stranger" sings the praises of everyday life as a balm against the outside world; similarly,"We Belong Together" serves as a cozy reminder that as difficult as they can be, relationships are one of the few sources of stability in an increasingly volatile world. More complex yet more direct than anything they've done before,
finds
embracing change and delivering some of their most mature and satisfying music in the process. ~ Heather Phares