Vampire Weekend perform new song, talk second album on 'Jimmy Fallon'

Updated on December 20, 2019 03:05AM EST

As a self-proclaimed, unashamed Vampire Weekend fanboy (backlash be damned!), I have to admit even I was underwhelmed by “White Sky,” the new song the preppy quartet debuted on last night’s Jimmy Fallon. Now, “new” is a relative term, since they’ve been performing the song for months now, evidence of which is posted all over YouTube. But this was the song’s big national debut.

And “A-Punk” it is not. The track — which incorporated all of the band’s usual elements (violins, cellos, frontman’s Ezra Koenig’s chipper falsetto) — was lush but curiously, well, dull. It was also quite low-key, sounding almost like a children’s lullaby, and severely lacking chorus-wise. Actually, I’m not even sure if there was a chorus besides the high-pitched “ooh’s.” While not a total disappointment, the song recalled the same feeling I got after I heard “Ottoman,” the band’s contribution to the soundtrack of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist: good but not good enough. And, remember, this is coming from someone who absolutely adored every inch of their self-titled debut.

Regardless, I’m still rabidly anticipating Vampire Weekend’s sophomore album. Koenig briefly mentioned they are hoping to release it in the fall. “White Sky” will be included, but $10 bucks says there’s zero chance it will even come close to being released as a single. What do you think of the new song? In case you missed it, watch the YouTube video after the jump (before it gets yanked), or head over to Hulu.