The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • TOTD
  • Books + Movies
  • Scene Unseen
  • About
  • MORE
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • TOTD
  • Books + Movies
  • Scene Unseen
  • About
  • Spill Menu
    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Festivals
    • Portraits
    • Headlines
      • News
      • Contests
      • Events
      • Entertainment Headlines
      • Concert Listings
      • Toronto Concert Venues
    • New Music
      • Premieres
      • TOTD
    • Books + Movies
    • Scene Unseen
    • About
Album Reviews
161
Editor Pick
previous article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FLAMINGODS - LEVITATION
next article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JENN VIX - 6

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VAMPIRE WEEKEND – FATHER OF THE BRIDE

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend
Father Of The Bride
Columbia Records

After nearly six years and the departure of multi-instrumentalist and producer Rostam Batmanglij, Vampire Weekend has released their fourth album Father of the Bride. It is a sprawling, intricate masterpiece that features some of their most unique songs to date.

As their fourth album, it feels markedly distinct from the previous three. This is partly due to the six-year gap, the change in the band’s lineup, and the way the Father of the Bride album art diverges from their previous aesthetic, yet it is the wide variety of musical styles and the experimental nature of Father of the Bride that really sets it apart. While Modern Vampires of the City had a meticulous, haunted feel, FOTB is distinctly light-hearted and breezy, the vividly colourful response to the grey complexity of their previous album.

Father of the Bride is much looser and more experimental than previous Vampire Weekend albums, which stems from its collage of influences. Contained within Father of the Bride’s 18 tracks, we hear Grateful Dead jams (“Harmony Hall”, “This Life”), prog-rock instrumental breakdowns (“Sunflower”, “Sympathy”), auto-tuned vocal riffs (“Flower Moon”, “Bambina”), samples from the The Thin Red Line film score (“Hold You Now”), and the ambient soundtrack of Japanese Muji stores (“2021”), all woven together into warm and engaging indie-pop. Fans will recognize the intelligent lyrics, catchy melodies, and the afro-pop guitar of Vampire Weekend’s early work, yet it is obvious that the band had a lot of fun exploring different styles, as they filter their distinct sound through a vast variety of genres.

Overall, Father of the Bride is an upbeat, inviting, and musically rich album. Despite the large number of tracks and the wide variety of musical influences, it feels very accessible and unified as an album, balancing complex musicality with bright melodies and the expert songwriting of frontman Ezra Koenig. It is a fantastic release from one of the most interesting and talented bands currently making music.



Artist Links

website_flat_2016 facebook_flat_2016 twitter_flat_2016 instagram_flat_2016

Editor Pick
Item Reviewed

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: VAMPIRE WEEKEND – FATHER OF THE BRIDE

Author

Kieran Davey

Here's what we think...
Spill Rating
Fan Rating
Rate Here
New Criteria
10
6.1
9.0
Total Spill Rating
6.1
Total Fan Rating
8 ratings
You have rated this
Album Reviews
album reviewalbum reviewscolumbia recordsfather of the brideharmony hallvampire weekend
album review, album reviews, columbia records, father of the bride, harmony hall, vampire weekend
About the Author
Kieran Davey
Kieran Davey
Kieran Davey is a freelance writer and music enthusiast from Vancouver, Canada. He particularly enjoys alternative rock, groovy hip-hop, and basically any music from the 60's. Aside from reviewing music, he also loves playing guitar and spending time in nature.
RELATED ARTICLES
album reviewalbum reviewscolumbia records
 
10
NOFX
10

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NOFX – SINGLE ALBUM

by Jake Collier on February 26, 2021
NOFX Single Album Fat Wreck Chords NOFX is still around 40 years since their early beginnings, and what is there left to do when the rest of their era’s punk bands have fallen or sold out? Well, [...]
 
8.0
Lydia Luce

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LYDIA LUCE – DARK RIVER

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on February 26, 2021
Lydia Luce Dark River Independent Nashville is changing. No, it isn’t the quality of musicianship. Whether you like it or not, the Nashville sound is one of the best around. It is the [...]
 
9.0
Strawbs
8.2

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: STRAWBS – SETTLEMENT

by Aaron Badgley on February 26, 2021
Strawbs Settlement Cherry Red Records The Strawbs released their self-titled debut in 1969, their first official album. This is their 27th release, and their second with this particular lineup. [...]
 
8.0
Sloping

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SLOPING – COMPLETED SONGS

by Dan Kennard on February 26, 2021
Sloping Completed Songs sound as language Lead songwriter of the band Scooterbabe, JJ Posway, has released a debut solo album under the name Sloping. It is called Completed Songs, and it [...]
 
10
cEvin Key
10

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: cEvin Key AND THE SUBCONSCIOUS ELECTRONIC ORCHESTRA – RESONANCE

by Kathy Nichols on February 19, 2021
cEvin Key And The Subconscious Electronic Orchestra Resonance Artoffact cEvin Key’s fifth solo album, Resonance (formerly [...]
Latest Album Reviews
View All
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NOFX – SINGLE ALBUM
10
10
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LYDIA LUCE – DARK RIVER
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: STRAWBS – SETTLEMENT
9.0
8.2
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SLOPING – COMPLETED SONGS
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: cEvin Key AND THE SUBCONSCIOUS ELECTRONIC ORCHE...
10
10
Latest Live Reviews
View All
 
Lord Huron

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LORD HURON ALIVE FROM WHISPERING PINES: EPISODE 2 OF 4 (VIRTUAL EVENT)

by Robert Defina on February 18, 2021
75
 
Small Town Titans

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: SMALL TOWN TITANS @ SMT HQ, YORK (PA)

by Gerrod Harris on February 6, 2021
33
 
Lord Huron

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LORD HURON ALIVE FROM WHISPERING PINES: EPISODE 1 OF 4 (VIRTUAL EVENT)

by Robert Defina on January 7, 2021
395
 
Wardruna

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: WARDRUNA – ‘KVITRAVN’ PRESENTATION (ONLINE PERFORMANCE)

by Samantha Wu on December 10, 2020
197
 
Evanescence

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: EVANESCENCE @ ROCK FALCON STUDIO, NASHVILLE (TN)

by Melinda Welsh on December 5, 2020
61
Tweets by @spillmagazine

SPILL MAGAZINE MENU
  • Home | The Spill Magazine
  • Premieres
  • Album Reviews
  • Books + Movies
  • Features
  • Live Reviews
  • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • News
  • Events
  • Entertainment Headlines
  • Concert Listings
  • Toronto Concert Venues
  • About Us
  • Contests
  • New Music
  • Spill Magazine Contributors
  • TOTD
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Scene Unseen
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2020 | The Spill Magazine
All Rights Reserved.

TRENDING RIGHT NOW
   
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY – MECHANICAL SOUL
673
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PAUL McCARTNEY – McCARTNEY III
578
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: GUIDED BY VOICES – STYLES WE PAID FOR
557
 
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: CHURCH OF TREES FEAT. CAROLE POPE – “WORLD’S A BITCH”
463
 
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LORD HURON ALIVE FROM WHISPERING PINES: EPISODE 1 OF 4 (VIRTUAL EVENT)
395
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BLACK PISTOL FIRE – LOOK ALIVE
368
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS – LIVE IN BOSTON, 1982: THE COMPLETE CONCERT
350
 
SPILL NEW MUSIC: “SHAMELESS” STAR WILLIAM H. MACY RELEASES DEBUT SINGLE “WHISKEY DELL” UNDER “WILLIE CREEKS” MONIKER
330
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE DIRTY NIL – FUCK ART
282
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CHRIS CORNELL – NO ONE SINGS LIKE YOU ANYMORE
278
 
SPILL FEATURE: TRULY ORCHESTRATING HIS OWN LIFE – A CONVERSATION WITH RICK SPRINGFIELD
274
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: GRIEVOUS ANGELS – SUMMER BEFORE THE STORM
270
 
SPILL FEATURE: HIS STORY RIGHT NOW – A CONVERSATION WITH cEvin Key
264
ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES