I have been putting off my review for Vampire Weekend’s Contra for a bit. I was lucky enough to grab an early listen, and seeing as the album is now on myspace, I figured it was as good a time as any to spill my thoughts out with you guys.
The first question I asked myself was if Contra is better than their debut album. This is probably going to be the most frequent theme in all the big critics reviews. You know what, the album probably is not better than their first, and it doesn’t try to be. It doesn’t need to be. It would be really difficult for Vampire Weekend to top their first album. That was a record full of songs that they worked on for years. It was filled with singles that would make plenty of greatest hits collections jealous! Many fans were worried that this 2nd album would just re a re-hash of what they already did. No one thought they were capable of sounding different. The haters saw them as a static band married to one sound. Well haters, you can continue to hate. Vampire Weekend have proven you wrong.
“Horchata” should be well up there in play counts by now, we all know it and love it. It is the perfect choice for Contras album opener. It serves as the perfect transitional bridge from their first album. It sounds like it could have been on their first record, but it also has hints of a changing band. A more mature band looking to prove that they are the real deal. After Horchata, we get treated to the familiar delight that is “White Sky”. The song sounds a lot more full than the one that leaked a few weeks ago. It is just as vibrant and fun as it was when they played it for the first time for me at Bowery Ballroom. It sounds like the band is having fun, but it also shows growth. The band gives us the first hint of a more technical album with the use of a backing track. This is something that you must get used to while listening to Contra. The band doesn’t just keep it to their instruments anymore. They dive deep into the realm of electronic effects on Contra.
Just as you get intrigued by this new found sound, Vampire Weekend pulls you right back in with “Holiday”. The song is sunny, energetic, based around a really clean melody. Ezra’s voice sounds clean and friendly, helped by Contras great production. Next up is “California English”, and this could be a polarizing song. Ezra sings through auto-tuner, and guess what? I love it. It fits the song perfectly! Vampire Weekend are smart boys, they wouldn’t use auto-tuner unless they see it fit. The band also brings back the much adored strings that delighted all of us on their debut album. The song’s final 30 seconds may be my favorite part of the entire album, it just makes you want to get up and dance. If you are turned off by the auto-tuner at first, please don’t give up. Give it time to grow on you, and reveal the treasure within!
The album slows down with “Taxi Cab”, a valiant candidate for the most beautiful song on Contra. It’s best described as a ballad with its’ delicate keyboard lines, and the sincere vocals from Ezra. It is a different look at Vampire Weekend, a pleasant change from the mostly energetic songs that we are dealt. The band wastes no time getting back to business with “Run”, a song that definitely benefits from studio production. It sounds lush, and full of life. It should be noted that Vampire Weekend sound really together instrumentally here. Ezra, Rostam, and the two Chris’s are playing their instruments to the fullest of their ability, and it sounds tight! “Cousins” is the perfect followup sounding absolutely perfect in the context of the album. It really was a great choice for the first single! Anyone who disliked it as a “bare” single should be pleased at how well it sounds with the whole album!
The L’Homme Run version of “Giving Up The Gun” showed great promise, but Vampire Weekend knocked it out of the park. It is very bass heavy, playing suite to the catchy chorus. Like I said before, you begin to notice a lot more electronic effects behind the instrumentation and it may take a few listens to get used to, but it clearly benefits the bands new sound. Throw in some female vocals and you got a winner! “Diplomats Son” is up next, and it may just be my current favorite. It is vastly different from anything that the band has done, and it could have failed so miserably. But this is Vampire Weekend we are talking about here! If they want to sample M.I.A. and throw in calypso influences, they will find a way to make it work. It is not that much of a stretch to say that this song sounds “hip hop” with its head bobbing bass, and heavy Afro-Caribbean rhythm. This is the staple of Contra, the best way to analyze the record as a whole. The same band is there for us, but they have become more mature, and more inclined to try new things. “Diplomats Son” shifts about halfway through its 6 minute run time, and becomes an irresistible treat for the ears. I hope that they play this song live at the United Palace Theater show that I am attending, because this song is going to be a MONSTER live. Vampire Weekend took a tremendous risk with this song, but they nailed it!
Lastly, we have “I Think Ur A Contra”. This was the most difficult song for me to write about. This was the only song that I didn’t immediately like. It was the first time that a Vampire Weekend song had to “grow” on me. It took a while, but eventually it did. It is a fitting ending to an album like Contra. They crafted it in such a way that you actually feel like you are sailing away from an island deep into a beautiful forgiving sunset. It is a song that Vampire Weekend should be pretty proud of. It is quite pretty.
I put a lot into this “review” and I hope I gave you a good idea about how I feel about each individual song. I want to leave you with some lasting thoughts. This album is fantastic. It is not a step down from their debut in anyway. Fuck all of the comparing. Contra should be appreciated as it is, and looked at from a fair vantage point. It is a lot different from their album in many ways. It takes more time to grow on you. The production from Rostam is jaw droppingly good, doing wonders for the band. Ezras voice has never sounded better. He has grown into a real singer here, showcasing his talent on a lot more balladly tracks. Chris Tomson’s drumming is fierce and full, he has become one of the best drummers out there. Chris Baio’s basslines are one of the most underappreciated aspects of the band, but no one can deny his talent after hearing the monster bassline in “Cousins”.
This review, is long, and probably way too in depth. But fuck it. This album was worth it. I am really happy with the end result of Contra and I think the rest of you will be too. It is a well balanced song with its fair share of both energetic songs, and ballads. The band takes on a more electronic sound, and it goes with there sound quite smoothly. At the end of the day, this is still Vampire Weekend. They have proven all of their critics wrong. Contra is one hell of an album, I couldn’t be any happier. They have kicked off 2010 with one of the best albums of the year.
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