Grammy-winning alternative collective Vampire Weekend makes a killer comeback with the eclectic, well-written single, “Harmony Hall.”

“Anger wants a voice, voices wanna sing / Singers harmonize ‘til they can’t hear anything…” Sigh, finally, after a six-year hiatus, Vampire Weekend returns with new music.  Yes, the last time that we heard from the alternative music collective was in 2013 when they released the utterly superb Modern Vampires of the City.  To this day, Modern Vampires of the City remains one of my favorite albums of the 2010s.  The good news about having to wait so damn long is that Ezra Koenig and company deliver two singles simultaneously: “Harmony Hall” and “2021.”

“Harmony Hall” is everything you want from a comeback single – it checks off all the boxes and more.  Jam-packed crossing the five-minute mark, Vampire Weekend seems to experiment with Americana and country music.  The result is superb, with rhythmic guitar lines, ultra-funky piano, and an infectious, anchoring beat.  Adding to the excellence are ripe vocals by Ezra Koenig, who sounds as fresh and potent as he did when Vampire Weekends arrived more than a decade ago (2008).  Although “Harmony Hall” is ‘alternative,’ there’s enough of a ‘pop factor’ and a relatively straightforward form that makes it truly ear-catching.  Also helping the infectiousness is the inescapably catchy chorus, which sounds as if Koenig is beaming as he sings.

“And the stone walls of Harmony Hall bear witness

Anybody with a worried mind could never forgive the sight

Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified

I don’t wanna live like this, but I don’t wanna die.”

Final Thoughts 

Just to reiterate, “Harmony Hall” is everything you want from a comeback single.  Also adding to the glory are the lyrics beyond the excerpted pre-chorus (at the top) and chorus. Harmony Hall could legitimately be a place, but like the lyrics themselves, Ezra Koenig and Vampire Weekend leave the door open to multiple interpretations.  Regardless, the poetic nature of the lyrics, as well as the memorable nature, is awesome.  The high-level musicianship only confirms this is a truly strong comeback for VW.

Vampire Weekend • Harmony Hall / 2021 [Single] • Spring Snow / Columbia • Release: 1.24.19

Photo Credits: Spring Snow / Columbia