Vampire Weekend — who earlier this year announced their new album via an obscure ad in the New York Times — have shared a pair of studio cuts from their forthcoming third LP, “Modern Vampires of the City.”
On Monday (Mar. 18), the band released “Diane Young” and “Step,” both tracks of a double a-side single. Both will be included on the band’s third studio album, which drops May 7 in the U.S. on XL.
On “Diane Young,” singer Ezra Koenig leads the charge on a charismatic rock song that features crazed breakdowns and unexpected soul from the frontman. “Step” is a more laid-back cut, recalling the harpsichord parts found on the band’s 2007 song “M79.” The latter also comes with a lyric video, allowing fans to catch a couple lyrical nods to fellow indie rockers Modest Mouse. Both tracks feature some unexpected bass-heavy vocal effects, which bring Vampire Weekend’s sound closer to an A$AP Rocky record than most would have ever expected.
Vampire Weekend Announces ‘Modern Vampires Of The City’ Album
Vampire Weeken’s last album, 2010’s “Contra,” debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart and has sold 541,000 copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Last October, the band performed another new song, “Unbelievers,” during a Halloween-themed appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”.