The early word for this album was that it was going to be “experimental.” This is definitely true. It's also maybe the best thing the group has ever done—”Diane Young” sounds like Paul Simon meets Buddy Holly meets Radiohead, and the lyrical content of Modern Vampires, as a whole, has smartly moved from the collegiate scenes painted in “Campus” and “Oxford Comma” to a more mature post-grad wistfulness. “Hudson,” which clicks in at the 37:00 mark, is a futuristic song I keep rewinding and rewinding. It makes heavy use of a drum machine (the whole album does), and the lyrics are mysterious and ominously sad. They've come a long fucking way since their first work.
Anyway, give it a listen.
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