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Only God Was Above Us

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Only God Was Above Us
The inside of an abandoned subway car. A person is seen sitting and holding a newspaper with the headline, "ONLY GOD WAS ABOVE US". Farther down, an out-of-focus person is seen standing on the side of the car with their back towards the camera.
Standard cover for physical releases; alternate cover available at independent retailers[1]
Studio album by
Vampire Weekend
ReleasedApril 5, 2024 (2024-04-05)
Recorded2021–2023[a]
Genre
Length47:00
LabelColumbia
Producer
Vampire Weekend chronology
Father of the Bride
(2019) 		Only God Was Above Us
(2024)
Singles from Only God Was Above Us
  1. "Capricorn" / "Gen-X Cops"
    Released: February 16, 2024
  2. "Classical"
    Released: March 14, 2024
  3. "Mary Boone"
    Released: March 28, 2024

Only God Was Above Us is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, released on April 5, 2024, through Columbia Records. It marks the third collaboration between the band and their longtime producer Ariel Rechtshaid. It is also the first album recorded by the band as a trio of vocalist-guitarist Ezra Koenig, bassist Chris Baio and drummer Chris Tomson after the 2016 departure of keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij; 2019's Father of the Bride, the first post-Batmanglij Vampire Weekend album, was created and promoted by Koenig as a solo project with Baio and Tomson only involved for the album's tours.[2] It received universal acclaim from music critics.

Background

[edit]

Ezra Koenig began to write the lyrics for Only God Was Above Us between 2019 and 2020, while primary recording sessions took place over the following years[3] in Manhattan, Los Angeles, London and Tokyo.[4] The album was co-produced by Koenig and the band's longtime collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid,[5] with additional production by the band's drummer, Chris Tomson, and former band member Rostam Batmanglij.[6] It was mixed by Dave Fridmann and mastered by Emily Lazar.[7]

The project draws artistic inspiration from a 20th-century New York City aesthetic.[1] The album's title is derived from the headline of a May 1, 1988 New York Daily News article, as shown in the album's artwork photographed by Steven Siegel.[8] This article recounts the incident involving Aloha Airlines Flight 243, in which a structural failure caused the aircraft's roof to be torn off mid-flight. The phrase "Only God was above us" was quoted from one of the passengers.[9]

In a press release, Only God Was Above Us was described as "direct yet complex", showcasing the band at its grittiest, most beautiful, and melodic.[10] The first two singles from the album, "Capricorn" and "Gen-X Cops", were released on February 16, 2024, alongside two music videos.[5]

Only God Was Above Us was released on April 5, 2024. To celebrate the release of the album, the band began the album's tour at the Moody Amphitheater in Austin, Texas on April 8, Koenig's fortieth birthday, during a total solar eclipse.[8] During the tour's encores, they played improvised covers of songs requested by the audience.[11]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic88/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
Clash8/10[14]
Exclaim!8/10[15]
The Independent[16]
Mojo[17]
musicOMH[18]
NME[19]
The Observer[20]
Pitchfork8.6/10[21]
Under the Radar9/10[22]

Only God Was Above Us received acclaim from critics. On Metacritic, the album has a weighted average score of 88 out of 100, based on 23 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[12]

Pitchfork gave the album a score of 8.6 out of 10, as well as the site's "Best New Music" designation. The site's Matthew Strauss wrote in his review, "Only God Was Above Us is [also] the most honest album Vampire Weekend have made, an encapsulation of what the band does best, melodic and abstruse in Koenig's own masterful way."[21]

Critics' rankings

[edit]
Select year-end rankings for Only God Was Above Us
Publication/critic Accolade Rank Ref.
The Independent The best albums of 2024, ranked 3 [23]
The New Yorker The Best Albums of 2024 9 [24]
Paste The 100 Best Albums of 2024 71 [25]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2024 26 [26]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2024 37 [27]
Time Out The Best Albums of 2024 7 [28]
Uncut 80 Best Albums of 2024 66 [29]
Mid-decade critics' rankings for Only God Was Above Us
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Pitchfork 100 Best Albums of the 2020s So Far
98
[30]

Commercial performance

[edit]

The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 27, their first album to miss the top 20. It also lasted a solitary week on the chart.[31]

Track listing

[edit]
Only God Was Above Us track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Ice Cream Piano"
3:36
2."Classical"Koenig4:19
3."Capricorn"Koenig4:08
4."Connect"Koenig5:07
5."Prep-School Gangsters"Koenig3:48
6."The Surfer"
5:43
7."Gen-X Cops"
3:45
8."Mary Boone"
4:24
9."Pravda"Koenig4:11
10."Hope"Koenig7:59
Total length:47:00
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Broken Washing Machine"
2:43
12."Gen-X Cops" (acoustic)
  • Koenig
  • Tomson
3:11
Total length:66:36

Notes

Personnel

[edit]

Vampire Weekend

  • Ezra Koenig – vocals (all tracks), electric guitar (1–3, 5, 6), acoustic guitar (1, 3, 5, 10), piano (1–8, 10), 12-string acoustic guitar (2), organ (2, 6), synth bass (4), synthesizer (4, 9), keyboards (4, 9), guitar (9)
  • Chris Tomson – drums (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9)
  • Chris Baio – bass (1, 3, 7, 9, 10)

Additional musicians

Production

  • Ariel Rechtshaid – production, orchestral arrangement (1–4, 6, 8–10), recording
  • Ezra Koenig – production, orchestral arrangement (1–4, 6, 8–10)
  • Rostam Batmanglij – production (6)
  • Chris Tomson – production (7)
  • Will Canzoneri – orchestral arrangement (1–4, 6, 8–10), recording
  • Dave Fridmann – mixing, Dolby Atmos mixing, additional engineering
  • Michael Fridmann – Dolby Atmos mix engineering, additional engineering
  • Emily Lazar – mastering
  • Matt DiMona – recording
  • Kyle Parker Smith – recording
  • Dave Schiffman – recording
  • Chris Baio – additional engineering

Artwork

  • Nick Harwood – art direction
  • Steven Siegel – "Subway Dreams" photos
  • Michael Schmelling – band photos

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Only God Was Above Us
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[32] 72
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[33] 18
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[34] 22
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[35] 32
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[36] 64
French Albums (SNEP)[37] 39
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[38] 25
Irish Albums (OCC)[39] 21
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[40] 28
Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[41] 30
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[42] 37
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[43] 38
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[44] 25
Scottish Albums (OCC)[45] 4
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[46] 34
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[47] 9
UK Albums (OCC)[48] 11
US Billboard 200[31] 27
US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard)[49] 8

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Lyrics written between 2019–2020.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Rettig, James (February 8, 2024). "Vampire Weekend Announce New Album Only God Was Above Us, Two Tracks Out Next Week". Stereogum. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  2. ^ D'Souza, Shaad (March 23, 2024). "'When I was younger I was arrogant': Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig on fatherhood and growing up". The Guardian. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  3. ^ Skinner, Tomy (February 8, 2024). "Vampire Weekend announce details of new album Only God Was Above Us – with two new tracks on the way". NME. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Strauss, Matthew (February 8, 2024). "Vampire Weekend Announce New Album Only God Was Above Us". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Dunworth, Liberty (February 16, 2024). "Check out Vampire Weekend's bold new singles 'Capricorn' and 'Gen-X Cops'". NME. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  6. ^ "Vampire Weekend Share New Songs "Capricorn" & "Gen-X Cops": Listen". Stereogum. February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Pearis, Bill (February 8, 2024). "Vampire Weekend announce new album Only God Was Above Us & Austin total eclipse show". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Grow, Kory (February 8, 2024). "Vampire Weekend Tease Only God Was Above Us Album With Noisy Montage". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  9. ^ "Vampire Weekend announce first album in five years, Only God Was Above Us". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  10. ^ Fu, Eddie (February 8, 2024). "Vampire Weekend Announce New Album Only God Was Above Us". Consequence. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  11. ^ Jones, Abby (September 26, 2024). "Vampire Weekend Finally Give TikTokers Chappell Roan Meme Fodder". Stereogum. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Only God Was Above Us by Vampire Weekend Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  13. ^ Phares, Heather. "Only God Was Above Us – Vampire Weekend". AllMusic. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  14. ^ Smith, Maddy (April 8, 2024). "Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us". Clash. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  15. ^ Hudson, Alex (April 5, 2024). "Vampire Weekend's 'Only God Was Above Us' Is as Emotional as It Is Academic". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  16. ^ Brown, Helen (April 5, 2024). "Vampire Weekend review, Only God Was Above Us: A journey through modern disaster that ends with hope". The Independent. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  17. ^ Worth, Jim (March 23, 2024). "Mojo Magazine May 2024 - Page 86". Mojo. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  18. ^ Murphy, John (April 5, 2024). "Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us". musicOMH. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  19. ^ Molloy, Laura (April 4, 2024). "Vampire Weekend - 'Only God Was Above Us' review: back to the Big Apple". NME. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  20. ^ Empire, Kitty (April 5, 2024). "Vampire Weekend: Only God Was Above Us review - their most adventurous set yet". The Observer. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Strauss, Matthew (April 4, 2024). "Only God Was Above Us". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  22. ^ Fechik, Mariel (April 5, 2024). "Vampire Weekend - Only God Was Above Us". Under the Radar. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  23. ^ "The best albums of 2024, ranked". The Independent. November 30, 2024. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  24. ^ "The Best Albums of 2024". The New Yorker. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  25. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2024". Paste. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  26. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2024". Pitchfork. December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  27. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2024". Stereogum. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  28. ^ Time Out (November 23, 2024). "The Best Albums of 2024". Time Out. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  29. ^ Pearis, Bill (November 8, 2024). "List Season comes early with Uncut's Top 80 Albums of 2024". brooklynvegan.com. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  30. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the 2020s So Far". Pitchfork. October 1, 2024. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  31. ^ a b "Vampire Weekend Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  32. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 15 April 2024". The ARIA Report. No. 1780. Australian Recording Industry Association. April 15, 2024. p. 6.
  33. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  34. ^ "Ultratop.be – Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  35. ^ "Ultratop.be – Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  36. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  37. ^ "Top Albums (Week 15, 2024)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  38. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  39. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  40. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2024-04-15/p/3" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  41. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Digital Albums: April 15, 2024" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  42. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of April 10, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  43. ^ "Charts.nz – Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  44. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  45. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  46. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  47. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Vampire Weekend – Only God Was Above Us". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  48. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  49. ^ "Vampire Weekend Chart History: Top Rock & Alternative Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
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