Vampire Weekend, Capricorn | Song Review 🎵

Alternative darlings Vampire Weekend make a compelling return with “Capricorn,” the first of two singles from their fifth LP, Only God Was Above Us.

“Can’t reach the moon now / Can’t turn the tide / The world looked different / When God was on your side.” The moon and spirituality? Intriguing thought provoking lyrics from the first verse of “Capricorn”. “Capricorn” marks the first of two singles released in advance of Only God Was Above Us, the fifth studio album by Grammy-winning alternative band, Vampire Weekend.  Only God Was Above Us arrives five years after Father of the Bride, one of the best albums by the collective to date. “Capricorn” was written by front man, Ezra Koenig.  Koenig also produces the four-minute-and-change track, alongside Ariel Rechtshaid. 

“Capricorn” is an interesting record from start to finish.  Ezra Koenig delivers solid vocals.  He’s expressive, but never gets too high nor too low.  The reverb on his vocals is a win.  Beyond the singing, the music is another winning factor for “Capricorn.” The accompaniment game is on-point including acoustic guitar, piano, and orchestral touches. Additionally, “Capricorn” is anchored by a robust bass line, and features ear-catching, noisy, synthesized sounds.  Still, where the ‘bread is buttered’ is the songwriting, which is elite. The section to beat is the clever chorus.  Here, Koenig sings, “Capricorn / The year that you were born / Finished fast / And the next one wasn’t yours…” Thought-provoking! The verses catch the ear too with references to life, spirituality, and time.  In the third verse, Koenig asserts, “Good days are comin’ / Not just to die / I know you’re tired of tryin’ / Listen, baby, you don’t have to try.” Word.  All told, those alternative darlings, Vampire Weekend strike gold again on “Capricorn”.  Does this band ever miss? Nope!

Vampire Weekend // Only God Was Above Us // Columbia // 4.5.24

[📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Columbia; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Królestwo Nauki, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pete Linforth, Tumisu from Pixabay]