For their last two albums, Vampire Weekend stuck to their trademark upbeat pop sounds.

But for the recently released “Modern Vampires of the City,” the band ventures out of their comfort zone into something more slow, beautiful, and much different than before, and it is a welcome change.

Vampire Weekend has always had the ingenuity that their peers lack, utilizing their creativity to the fullest potential through the strategic sampling of different types of music that range from chapel hymns to reggae hits to ’70s rock.

“Modern Vampires of the City” marks the clear cohesiveness that their previous albums lacked. In the past, they had a conglomeration of their catchy songs and those songs that were not, and often easily forgettable by a casual listener.

Vampire Weekend slowed their sound on the new album and tweaked their songs to work in tandem with each other in order to make the whole of the album greater than the sum of its parts.  “Modern Vampires” is a huge step forward for the band as it functions as undeniable proof the band has matured, in terms of both sound and theme.

The album opens with “Obvious Bicycle,” where singer Ezra Koenig gives advice to a seemingly hopeless unemployed companion. “You oughtta spare your face the razor,” he laments, “because no one’s gonna spare the time for you.”

The gospel piano chords, combined with the haunting vocals of Koenig set the powerful tone for the rest of the album.

In “Unbelievers,”  Koenig’s utilization of tight harmonies and the impeccable instrumental work in perfect synch to create a song from which very little fault can be found.  “Diane Young” is reminiscent of their past hits, such as “A-Punk” and “Horchata,” but this song functions as a farewell to their juvenile intense pop sound.

The album reaches its apex with “Hannah Hunt,” which is not only the greatest song on the album but very likely of the band’s career.

The song begins with vague background noise and quickly transitions into piano chords and bass guitar plucks. Koenig sings about going on a road trip to Santa Barbara with his girlfriend, Hannah Hunt, with descriptions of what they saw and who they met on the way.

Two minutes and 40 seconds later, the song’s intrumentations become more dynamic, and work in conjunction with Koenig’s vocal crescendo to create an awe inspiring 36 seconds that will make listeners think that they’ve wasted their lives until just now.

The album closes with the short and sweet “Young Lion,” which is a magnificent end to a near-perfect album with its melodious keyboard chords.

Vampire Weekend’s new album elevates the band to a whole new level above both what  they and their contemporaries have done. I give “Modern Vampires of the City” 4 out of 4 guitars.