Vampire Weekend put 'Contra' At The Top Of The Class
Vampire Weekend’s sophomore album, 'Contra,' progresses past simple Afro-pop .
Vampire Weekend
Contra
Released on Jan 12, 2010
It’s safe to say that Vampire Weekend has quite a bit riding on this second album. Their “infectious Afro-pop style”—which is a phrase that’s been used so much by writers that it may very well be trademarked—managed to be fairly polarizing. Either you were on the Vampire train, or you refused to even get on the platform at the station. I found myself to be a frequent passenger (alright, done with the train metaphor), but after hearing about their horrendous live performances and realizing that really, there wasn’t all that much to their music, I wondered—along with most everybody else—if they would be THE over-hyped band of the past few years.
And then Contra comes rolling in, with a more “full-bodied Afro-pop feel” (I’m trademarking that shit now), and an obvious willingness to venture into different musical styles with fruitful results. If they’ve improved their live performances, then we may just have on our hands a band that’s here for the long haul.
The opening track “Horchata” sounds a lot like their debut album on an interesting combination of speed and downers. I say this because the instrumental chorus features an intense percussion section and chant-like vocals, while the rest of the song features more sparse instrumentation and a more playful tone. Where the songs off their debut favored one style or the other, this single is an aggressive sign that they’re ready to be more than a one-note group.
“White Sky” features some enviable falsetto riffs. Ezra Koenig’s voice is another polarizing aspect of the band, but I happen to love its constant wavering between falsetto and more average ranges. Perhaps he’s becoming more confident in his delivery, because there’s a better balance on this album. For every song like “Horchata,” there’s a track like “Taxi Cab”—which features a great, if slightly muted string part.
As far as playing favorites go, I’ve got to choose “Cousins” and “I Think Ur A Contra.” “Cousins” boasts an insane pace, with Koenig sounding like he’s choking on his own coolness in the beginning. Since I’m a sucker for singular drum beats, this song’s chorus was bound to be my new obsession. It’s been stuck in my head for approximately 30 hours, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
“I Think Ur A Contra” is the last track, and it’s atmospheric without being too far removed from the rest of the album’s sound. It provides the perfect backdrop for the bittersweet lyrics. I always love it when the last album of the track provides a slight departure—stylistically speaking—from the previous songs. It’s like the band is sending you off with something new to think about. Thanks to the strength of the other songs on Contra though, this band has given people plenty of new things to think about.
High Point
“Cousins.” A wonderfully fast-paced track with enough layered sounds to make it a compelling listen.
Low Point
Let’s get specific—the opening of “California English.” It sounds like Koenig is being punched by the drums. Choking on “Cousins” is catchy, but punching just doesn’t translate into anything good.
Posted by Alyssa Vincent on Jan 13, 2010 @ 9:00 am
