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Harmony Hall (song)

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Wikipedia article




{{Infobox song

| name = Harmony Hall

| cover = Vampire Weekend Harmony Hall.png

| alt =

| border = yes

| type = single

| artist = Vampire Weekend

| album = Father of the Bride

| A-side = "2021" (double A-side)

| released = January 24, 2019

| genre =

* Indie pop

* country-soul

| length = 5:08

| label = * Spring Snow

* Columbia

| writer = Ezra Koenig

| producer = * Ariel Rechtshaid

* Ezra Koenig

* Rostam Batmanglij

| prev_title = Unbelievers

| prev_year = 2013

| title2 = 2021

| next_title = Sunflower" / "Big Blue

| next_year = 2019

| misc =

}}

"'Harmony Hall'" is a song by American indie pop band Vampire Weekend. It is the lead single from their fourth studio album 'Father of the Bride', and was released on January 24, 2019 by Columbia Records as a double A-side with "2021". It was the band's highest-charting single on the U.S. Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts, peaking at No. 8 and No. 5, respectively. It also received a nomination for Best Rock Song at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.

Music and lyrics



The "rolling country-soul" and indie pop of "Harmony Hall" has been compared to the Grateful Dead, specifically their song "Touch of Grey". The song's release saw the band once again receive comparisons to the music of Paul Simon. The track's piano groove, percussion, and breakbeats are influenced by British baggy, rave, and Madchester music from the 1990s, such as "Unbelievable" by EMF, while the piano and strings in the bridge exhibit a Baroque style.

The song's lyrics present a feeling of dread, contrasted against its upbeat sound. The song's chorus features the lyric "Anybody with a worried mind could never forgive the sight/Of wicked snakes inside a place you thought was dignified." The single's artwork features a snake. The chorus also features the lyric "I dont wanna live like this, but I don't wanna die," an interpolation of the same lyric from Vampire Weekend's song "Finger Back" from their third album 'Modern Vampires of the City'.

Title



The song shares the name of an undergraduate dormitory at Columbia University, where Vampire Weekend formed. Frontman Ezra Koenig has, however, said that the title is not a reference to the dormitory. The title has also been interpreted as a synonym for "echo chamber".

Critical reception



Jeremy D. Larson of 'Pitchfork' described the song as "buoyant, filled with the kind of sunlit energy created when throwing open the shutters," but described its similarity to "Touch of Grey" as "a bit out of step". Will Richards of 'DIY' praised the new upbeat sound, saying, "Of all the experimentation five and a half years could've brought for Vampire Weekend, 'Harmony Hall' simply sees them refining, expanding their palate subtly and gorgeously." Raisa Bruner of 'Time' called the song "sweet and nimble" and said its "rich guitar and piano riffing" would please longtime fans.

Music video



A music video for the song was released on February 20, 2019. It features the band, as well as cameo appearances from Jonah Hill, Ariel Rechtshaid, Dev Hynes, and Danielle Haim. It was directed by Emmett Malloy, who previously directed videos for the band's singles "Giving Up the Gun" and "Holiday".

Personnel



Credits adapted from Qobuz and Tidal.

'Musicians'

* Ezra Koenig vocals, acoustic guitar, piano

* Chris Baio background vocals

* Danielle Haim vocals

* Tommy King piano

* Greg Leisz electric guitar, steel guitar

* David Longstreth electric guitar, vocals

* Benji Lysaght guitar

* Justin Meldal-Johnsen bass guitar

* Garrett Ray drums

* Buddy Ross keyboards, synthesizer

* Ariel Rechtshaid bass guitar, percussion, programming, synthesizer, background vocals

* Chris Tomson background vocals

'Engineers'

* Ariel Rechtshaid recording

* Dave Schiffman recording

* John DeBold recording

* Chris Kasych recording

* Manny Marroquin mixing

* Chris Galland engineering

* Chris Allgood assistant engineering

* Robin Florent assistant engineering

* Scott Desmarais assistant engineering

* Emily Lazar mastering

Charts



Weekly charts



Year-end charts



Certifications



References



Category:2019 songs

Category:2019 singles

Category:Columbia Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Ariel Rechtshaid

Category:Song recordings produced by Rostam Batmanglij

Category:Songs written by Ezra Koenig

Category:Vampire Weekend songs

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