Vampire Weekend became one of my favorite bands after the release of their first self-titled debut album, Vampire Weekend, back in 2008. Their sound was so unique, like a synthesis of tribal drums and Western classical music, that I could not help being attracted to the quirky Indie rock band out of New York. Songs like “A-Punk”, “Oxford Comma”, and “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” showcase the best traits of the band. The raw sound of each song gives the album a less-formal taste and show the listener who the band really is: four college kids out of Colombia University making music they love.
When I heard news of their newest album, Contra, I was extremely excited about it. When I got the album and listened to it for the first time I was surprised and almost disappointed. The songs sounded so different and nothing like the songs that I loved off their first album. The more I listened to the album, the more it grew on me. It doesn’t sound as raw as the previous album and is more polished than before. This new sound is showcased through ten new songs, which I will rate on a five-point scale.
The first song on the album is titled “Horchata” and is the one song that best describes the new Vampire Weekend sound. The song still retains some African influence, while sounding more polished. The song’s title lends itself to the sound of the song and is very relaxing, much like the drink which is native to Latin American countries. 4/5
The next song is “White Sky” and wasn’t one of my favorite songs but it still was solid track. I think the thing that made me not like the song as much was the chorus, which has lead singer Ezra Koenig sounding somewhat like a monkey. It wasn’t the most annoying thing I’ve heard but it still kind of bothered me. 3.5/5
The track “Holiday” is a song that sounds really similar to their first album and reminds me of the song “A-Punk”. It’s a relatively short song coming in at 2:18 and features a strong drum sound much like “A-Punk” and since I liked that song, so much it was only fitting I liked this one. 4.5/5
“California English” was probably my least favorite song for one simple reason. The entire song is sort sped through as the lyrics are sung pretty fast and is in an auto tune tone. I’m all for fast lyricism, but I’d rather have that left to rapper Twista. I’m all for the occasional auto tune song, but I’d have T-Pain do that. This track seemed like an attempt to be a little different and unique, but I don’t feel that it worked. 2/5
“Taxi Cab” is another solid song that wasn’t my favorite but was still enjoyable. The lyrics are like those on their first album in that isn’t a whole lot of meaning to them nut just tell a simple story about a guy and a girl having to leave each other. The song flows really well and features no chorus but instead has a piano in its place. 4/5
The track “Run” has become my favorite track on the album. The song is about two people who just want to get away from everything and features some of the best lyrics on the album. Lines like “We mostly work to live, until we live to work,” add to the sense of the want to get away and lyrics that that are featured throughout. This song is also one of Ezra’s best sung songs as he does a great job in the chorus with the tone of his voice. 5/5
“Cousins” was the first single off the album and was a great choice. The song sounds a lot like the previous album and has a really cool drum roll through the entire song. The reason it was such a smart choice for the first single was that it has a lot of the rawness from the first album while having a fell like the rest of the new album, which provides a great transition for fans of Vampire Weekend. 4.5/5
“Giving up the Gun” was a pretty forgettable song for me as whenever I listen to the album, I usually forget what this song sounds like. It is the most pop sounding song on the album and seems much more mainstream then the other songs on the album. The song doesn’t feature a lot of the African influenced drums one would find on other tracks and more focus on guitar then other tracks. Overall it was just an OK song, nothing bad or great. 3/5
The last song on the album was “I Think You’re a Contra” and was a song really similar to the last track on their first album titled “I Stand Corrected”. I really didn’t like this track as I thought was boring and didn’t really offer anything lyrically. It was really just a forgettable track. 2/5
Overall, this was a really good album. I don’t think I liked it as much their first album but that’s not because of the different sound. The different sound was still good; I just don’t think that the album was as memorable as the first.