Only God Was Above Us

the take

My Favorite Albums of All Time #49: There are a few tried and true themes that make their way into albums: love, loss, grief, and finding oneself. The last of these often is reserved for young artists, and reflections on growing up tend to feel less authentic or even downright cringe-worth from the mouths of older artists. However, the 2020s decade has seen a few successful attempts at these ideas. Perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic made us all a bit more able to effectively reflect upon our own humanity. Paramore's 2023 record "This is Why" is one of these sorts of albums, but the most successful in my mind is the 2024 release from Vampire Weekend. The band, well established as one of the highest quality indie rock bands of the 00s, is approaching middle age, and yet their sound and musings sound fresh as ever. Unlike some older artists, they're able to appreciate the youth's strengths, and reflect on how some of their own struggles of their younger days have evolved as they've matured, feeling empathetic and patient for the younger generation, all while tracing a path that can hopefully guide them. They're willing to admit they don't have all the answers and are still afraid of growing up, which is a rather refreshing take in a world oversaturated with "kids these days" Gen-Xers who somehow forget they used to be young too. Must-Hear Tracks: Classical- A reflection on what we choose to remember and who; it warns of the falsehood of progress when the same kinds of people hold power. Gen-X Cops- The central track to this album in my opinion; it explores the ways Gen-Xers criticize Millennials despite not taking the time to understand them, and attempts to extend grace to Gen Z with the line "each generation makes its own apology." Hope- A sprawling 7-plus minute track about the exhaustion of trying to pay attention to everything negative happening around you and fighting the urge to ignore things, lest you let the ruler class win.