Vampire Weekend have delivered “Classical”, the third song to be aired from their upcoming album Only God Was Above Us, following on from “Capricorn” and “Gen-X Cops”.
“Classical” is like a slice of, well, classic Vampire Weekend with perky, pointed melodies overflowing with brightness and creativity. There’s a lot more instrumentation than there used to be, with upright bass, piano and much more building a towering pop song. However, the catchiness belies the sober words, which reflect on the horror of history where “shacks shake / bridges burn / and bodies break” and the chorus dances around the idea that “how the cruel with time / becomes classical”. As ever, Vampire Weekend are the thinker’s pop artist.
Watch the video for “Classical” below or find the song on streamers.
Vampire Weekend’s new album Only God Was Above Us is due out on 5 April via Columbia (pre-order). You can find the band on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
