Only God Was Above Us

Ezra Koenig began to write the lyrics for Only God Was Above Us between 2019 and 2020, while primary recording sessions took place over the following years^[2] in Manhattan, Los Angeles, London and Tokyo.^[3] The album was co-produced by Koenig and the band's longtime collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid,^[4] with additional production by the band's drummer, Chris Tomson, and former band member Rostam Batmanglij.^[5] It was mixed by Dave Fridmann and mastered by Emily Lazar.^[6]

The project draws artistic inspiration from a 20th-century New York City aesthetic.^[1] The album's title is derived from the headline of a May 1, 1988 New York Daily News article, as shown in the album's artwork photographed by Steven Siegel.^[7] This article recounts the incident involving Aloha Airlines Flight 243, in which a structural failure caused the aircraft's roof to be torn off mid-flight. The phrase "Only God was above us" was quoted from one of the passengers.^[8]

In a press release, Only God Was Above Us was described as "direct yet complex", showcasing the band at its grittiest, most beautiful, and melodic.^[9] The first two singles from the album, "Capricorn" and "Gen-X Cops", were released on February 16, 2024, alongside two music videos.^[4]

Only God Was Above Us was released on April 5, 2024. To celebrate the release of the album, the band began the album's tour at the Moody Amphitheater in Austin, Texas on April 8, Koenig's fortieth birthday, during a total solar eclipse.^[7] During the tour's encores, they played improvised covers of songs requested by the audience.^[10]

More information Aggregate scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	8.4/10[11]
Metacritic	88/100[12]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[13]
Clash	8/10[14]
Exclaim!	8/10[15]
The Independent	[16]
Mojo	[17]
MusicOMH	[18]
NME	[19]
The Observer	[20]
Pitchfork	8.6/10[21]
Under the Radar	9/10[22]

Close

Only God Was Above Us received acclaim from critics. On Metacritic, the album has a weighted average score of 88 out of 100, based on 23 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".^[12]

Pitchfork gave the album a score of 8.6 out of 10, as well as the site's "Best New Music" designation. The site's Matthew Strauss wrote in his review, "Only God Was Above Us is [also] the most honest album Vampire Weekend have made, an encapsulation of what the band does best, melodic and abstruse in Koenig's own masterful way."^[21]

The album debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 27, their first album to miss the top 20. It lasted a solitary week on the chart.^[54]

Notes

• "Mary Boone" features a sample from "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)", written by Beresford Romeo, Caron Wheeler, Nellee Hooper and Simon Law, and performed by Soul II Soul featuring Wheeler.

Vampire Weekend

• Ezra Koenig – vocals (all tracks), electric guitar (1–3, 5, 6), acoustic guitar (1, 3, 5, 10), piano (1–8, 10), 12-string acoustic guitar (2), organ (2, 6), synth bass (4), synthesizer (4, 9), keyboards (4, 9), guitar (9)
• Chris Tomson – drums (1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9)
• Chris Baio – bass (1, 3, 7, 9, 10)

Additional musicians

Production

Artwork

• Nick Harwood – art direction
• Steven Siegel – "Subway Dreams" photos
• Michael Schmelling – band photos