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2. 15. Bryn
Album: Vampire Weekend
Year released: 2008
Tipping their cap to the Strokes that paved their way, Ezra and Rostam start off this miniature ball of energy with some insistent guitar contagions, 6/8 variations, and willowing strings that bend in and out of the chorus as if they were on swings, swooping into the microphone and then arcing away. Cris Tomson keeps the triplets sharp as Ezra bobs through the seagulls and Kansas-born beetles and the song is wrapped in a perfect two minutes 15 seconds. It's the seventh track on Vampire Weekend, usually a slack spot on an album. But "Bryn" announced intents of longevity. And five years later, those guitars still echo back.—Graham
3. 14. Run
Album: Contra
Year released: 2010
Soaring horns and electronic bleeps trade elbows for the spotlight in "Run," a track that titillates without capsizing the boat that catches a sudden breeze in the middle of the lake that is Contra. This song makes the cut because it's got a lot of very subtle tweaks to the rhyme scheme, but they're not all up in your face about it. Ezra is all over the place with his poetic feet, weaving a web of AABB ABAB that lets the instruments involved leave space to breathe, taking on another role and letting the voice and harmonies fill space they once had. Just listen to the way the staccato synth moves, replacing guitar on the track.
It's an anxious, frantic track, full of the excited possibility of running away and leaving it all behind. It's equal parts Hot Chip and Paul Simon, a weird combination on paper but magic once it hits your ear. Kinda like cinnamon raisin bread and cream cheese.—Graham
4. 13. Giving Up The Gun
Album: Contra
Year released: 2010
VW shows their sonic flexibility in what turned out to be Contra's most popular single. "Giving Up The Gun" makes a deep bow to fellow rising stars Animal Collective, opening the song with some beautiful electronic chaos before diving into a shuddering bass line met by some melancholy, laid-back Ezra vocals. A perfect example of VW's ability to make fun, bouncy tracks with some lyrical weight. Plus it's got a music video with MOVIE STARS that probably cost LOTS OF MONEY. —Graham
5. 12. Everlasting Arms
Album: Modern Vampires of the City
Year released: 2013
Whether intended as meditation on religion or a look back at the band's success, "Everlasting Arms" stands out in the middle of the album as an example of Vampire Weekend's melodic genius. Every piece seems to lock right into place, from the left-foot-right-foot insistence of the drums to the harmonies that appear in the second half of the first verse and disappear just as quickly. That tight arrangement is counteracted by the ambiguity of the lyrics—regardless whether it's God or the crushing pressure of success Ezra sings about, it's clear there are some conflicted feelings.
The song opens with an accusation and a plea: "I took your counsel and came to ruin, leave me to myself." And yet you can't help but feel that despite whatever anger or frustration the band feels, music still acts as a place of warmth, security and release. That outlet is an essential part of VW's music, and what makes it work so well.—Graham
6. 11. Oxford Comma
Album: Vampire Weekend
Year released: 2008
As with the rest of Vampire Weekend's debut record, "Oxford Comma" carries on with pep—steady percussions, cheery keyboard playing, flawless guitar work—but not without a bit of edge. From saying "fuck" multiple times to quoting Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz, Vampire Weekend has always proven to not only draw inspiration from just about everything, but they also make these often contradicting things work, which in turn makes the band all the more interesting to listen to.—Joyce
7. 10. M79
Album: Vampire Weekend
Year released: 2008
When it comes to build-up, "M79" is not the best example of that, because it's full speed ahead right at the get-go. The song kicks off with some frantic string instruments, racing through the bars. Yet, the moment the Ezra's voice kicks in, the song becomes a weird but perfect balance of hurried instrumentals and calm and steady vocals. All technical bits aside, "M79" is probably one of the most enjoyable Vampire Weekend songs to sing along to. That, in itself, is worthy of a mention.—Joyce
8. 9. Campus
Album: Vampire Weekend
Year released: 2008
I've been a sucker for this song since day one, probably because I was walking campuses of my own when I first heard it. But it also has a lot to do with the unadulterated summer feel bottled up in the first two minutes and uncorked in the final third, a slow organ build that explodes into billowing guitars until they reach a fever pitch and the song ends, just like that. This song could have been written in 15 minutes, lyrics, chords and all. But that's what makes it great. Spontaneous, unrelenting energy all stemming from a chance glance at some unaware dime you see sunning herself in the grass across the arts quad.—Graham
9. 8. Step
Album: Modern Vampires of the City
Year released: 2013
Reviews of Modern Vampires of the City posited the album as a more mature version of the band's previous work. It's been called gloomier, darker, the end of an era, etc. All valid. But it's tough to cast the album in that one singular shade when you hear a song like "Step." What could be called melancholy is more of a drowsy discomfort, like tossing in bed before you go to sleep. Vampire Weekend has not lost their ability to inject an element of playfulness into moments of sobriety, and it manifests here as the Rushmore style clavichord that backs Ezra's narration.—Graham
10. 7. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
Album: Vampire Weekend
Year released: 2008
"Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" went under the radar as one of VW's bolder tracks on their debut album. Sure, it had a lot of the ingredients that run throughout the album (bongos, clavichord, congas, flutes and flute-y organs), but this is the song where the band confronts some of the materialistic labels they confronted both at school and in the immediate future.
References to Louis Vuitton, Benetton, and Cape Cod all serve to create an atmosphere that, while not quite mocking, conjures an image of someone encountering this weird rich-kid entitlement for the first time through the eyes of a girl he's tryna bed. The herky-jerk motion of the guitar mirrors that feeling so perfectly that the name-dropped Peter Gabriel even covered the track with Hot Chip.—Graham
11. 6. Horchata
Album: Contra
Year released: 2010
As Contra's opening cut, you immediately knew that this sophomore album was not going to be like what you remember Vampire Weekend to be like. Suddenly, there was lush, tropical production with a frenetic explosion into a myriad of exotic sounding instruments. Even the title of the song, "Horchata," denotes an acknowledgment of the "foreign." This was no longer your typical all-American guitar-bass-singer-drums-keyboard band a la Vampire Weekend, but one that's truly stepped out of its comfort zone, and "Horchata" captures this perfectly.—Joyce
12. 5. Ya Hey
Album: Modern Vampires of the City
Year released: 2013
There's something about "Ya Hey" that makes listening to it feel like a religious experience. Ezra's hazy vocals soar over the chorus in the backgroud and the stomping percussion, as if the song was an anthem of sorts. All of this on top of some gorgeously rich production and a catchy hook, "Ya Hey" was a great reminder of why a new album from Vampire Weekend deserves one's attention when it came out.—Joyce
13. 4. Walcott
Album: Vampire Weekend
Year released: 2008
"Walcott" stands out from the debut album's pack with its pure persistence, pianos hammering away with cymbals crashing in the back to create a high-energy compound unheard until then. The song's structure is simple—loud chorus, soft verse — but shit, that worked out great for The Pixies. Instead of a manic energy, however, VW opts to pack in some beautiful instrumental departures like the strings in the second verse. Like "Bryn," it's the repetition of that hook that just sticks in your craw.—Graham
14. 3. Hannah Hunt
Album: Modern Vampires of the City
Year released: 2013
Sonically, "Hannah Hunt" is captivating with its slowly building nature that prompts you to wait for it to burst at the seams, yet it never quite does. Its gentle instrumentals only highlight the fragility in Koenig's lyrics, especially in the latter half of the song as he frustratedly mourns: "If I can't trust you then damn it, Hannah / There's no future, there's no answer." Vulnerability is perfectly encapsulated with uncomfortable uncertainty, and the result is one of Vampire Weekend's most moving songs to date.—Joyce
15. 2. I Think Ur A Contra
Album: Contra
Year released: 2010
Compared to the sound of the band's debut record, "I Think Ur A Contra" is a huge departure from that carefree sound Vampire Weekend was identified by. This song contains a sort of restraint that, perhaps, reflects their maturation over the two years while recording Contra, featuring some purposeful execution that brings their very specific vision into reality. The warm yet skeletal instrumentals act as the perfect backdrop to Ezra Koenig's hushed, soothing vocals, helping "I Think Ur A Contra" become an intimate experience, evoking a sense of connectedness with the band, and especially Ezra.—Joyce
16. 1. A-Punk
Album: Vampire Weekend
Year released: 2008
The first time I saw Vampire Weekend live was also the first time I heard Vampire Weekend's music. In his brightly colored Wayfarers and jean jacket, a young Ezra Koenig introduced the band, then kicked off the set with "A-Punk." Immediately, I was a fan. The crowd feasted on "A-Punk"'s raucous, incredibly fun energy, bopping about and yelping along to Koenig's emphatic "ay ay ay ay!"
The single quickly became a hit, and sure, it might be due to the fact that it's markedly different from the rest of the band's debut record. In all likelihood, though, it's because there's an undeniably irresistible and infectious quality to "A-Punk" (though this could easily be extended to the rest of their discography as well) that makes it Vampire Weekend's most fun song ever.—Joyce
