Vampire Weekend - Contra
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Vampire WeekendBrand: Baker & Taylor
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
CD Release Date: 2010-01-12
Music Label: XL Recordings
Soundtracks:
- Horchata
- White Sky
- Holiday
- California English
- Taxi Cab
- Run
- Cousins
- Giving Up The Gun
- Diplomat's Sun
- I Think UR A Contra
Free Music Notes for Contra
Free Music Review: Vampire Weekend One-Ups Themselves with "Contra"
Hit: 5 Stars
In a nutshell, Vampire Weekend's modus operandi is to take your favorite music genre and turn it on its head. It's a formula that's primarily built upon a mashup of African pop music, American indie, and English rock - which is enough to give even the most curious pause. It's this aspect that no doubt prompted a reviewer with Clash Music to recently label VW as the "most unlikely crowd pleasers" in the music business. Though this is an entirely apt description, the band's success lies in their consistent ability to create innovative and engaging pop music no matter what national heritage they're paying homage to. VW's latest effort, "Contra", is a stellar follow-up to their eponymous debut, which was one of the most exciting releases of 2008. Occasionally, it would seem, substance truly does triumph over image.
"Contra" has earned universal praise from professional critics, with Pitchfork awarding it an 8.6 of 10, Rolling Stone ranking it four of five stars, Paste Magazine giving it an 86 of 100, and IGN awarding an incredible 9.6 of 10. Considering this, I wouldn't pay much mind to the resultant backlash the band has received since the release of their debut, as this is an inevitable result of an indie band gradually achieving mainstream success. Fans are notoriously fickle when their favorite act "sells out", when their focus should directed on whether or not the band maintains its integrity. As Pitchfork notes in its review: "Of course, haters will still find plenty to hate about 'Contra', and they'll hate it with vigor. Considering the ferocious objections to Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut, 'Horchata', and the rest of 'Contra', is brave music. It's like they've spent the past two years building a bionic version of the band - not only brighter and tighter, but weirder."
To be fair, VW's debut certainly wasn't flawless. For instance, "A-Punk" was a cleverly crafted radio single ripe for selling copies of VW's debut to the masses, but it reminded me of a frat-boy version of The Ramones. The real meat of the record could be found in masterful tracks like "Mansard Roof" and "Oxford Comma", which were endlessly listenable and more indicative of VW's fusion-laden style. A careful examination of their debut reveals an excitingly spirited, avant-garde approach to pop music. It was an excellent record, but perhaps a tinge overrated, with most of the praise stemming from their inimitable style rather than the actual strength of the songs. So despite the ground VW broke with their debut, they still had much to prove as a viable act, and as a result I didn't anticipate outright greatness from sophomore album "Contra".
However, after streaming just one track online ("Horchata"), I found myself immediately buying this album the day of its release. It should be noted that the playtime barely cracks a scant thirty-four minutes, yet it appears Vampire Weekend wisely sacrificed length for quality. "Contra" is every bit as accessible as their debut whilst still retaining a high degree of artistry, and because of this "Contra" abundantly rewards repeat listens. The aforementioned "Horchata" opens the album and instantly draws the listener in, driven along by Ezra Koenig's fluid vocals and his trademark idiosyncratic lyrics: "In December drinking Horchata, I'd look psychotic in a balaclava. Winter's cold is too much to handle, pincher crabs that pinch at your sandals."
First single "Cousins" appears specifically crafted to serve as the "A-Punk" equivalent of "Contra", as it's a fast-paced and lightweight rocker that's feels slightly out of place. It seems designed to draw casual radio listeners in, and as a result it's not the best representation of the sound Vampire Weekend is so careful to cultivate. "Cousins" is a strong track to be certain, better than "A-Punk" even, but VW's real ace-in-the-hole is their stock of more artistic arrangements that belie their pop origins. One notable misstep is their use of autotune on "California English", even considering I'm a major fan of Rostam Batmanglij's (multi-instrumentalist member of VW) side project Discovery. It's something that works for Discovery's glitzy style, but doesn't quite mesh with VW's more straight-laced aesthetic, try as they might.
That aside, "Contra" is an absolutely exciting start to 2010, ringing in the winter with a culling of exquisite pop songs. It's a bit more subdued than their debut, not quite as bombastic, yet I count this as its strongest suit. That, and the fact that there is no saccharine-laced, standout radio single like "A-Punk" here. Trust me, the record is all the better for it. "Holiday" is a prime example of classic VW, and could be a killer single. In Koenig's own words, it's their attempt at "fourth-wave ska". "Giving Up the Gun" is another fantastic cut of indie pop with a strong percussion section and an attractive melody, it's one of those songs I can imagine creeping into corporate ads years from now. "I Think Ur a Contra" flows about at a somewhat languid pace, yet it's easily the most beautiful track here and a brilliant way to close the record.
On the creation of the album, Koenig himself stated in an interview with MTV: "We do cover a lot of ground on it, and that's the challenge. Because I really don't like records where it's the same sounds and the same tempos and the same vibe for every song - it just seems kind of pointless. All the records that I've ever really loved are the ones where they cover a lot of ground. So how do you do that and still make it feel like one album? That's what we tried to do with 'Contra'." I couldn't agree more, because ultimately there's no higher plateau an artist can aim for. After giving "Contra" a few spins I can confidently make the claim that, to my great admiration, VW have risen to the challenge and emerged victorious.
Contra Poster
Like the first album, Contra was produced by keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij and is the realization of a whole and unique musical vision that sees the band stretching out and adding new textures, instrumentation, and rhythms into their sound.Primarily recorded in New York with a springtime sojourn to Mexico, Contra feels altogether fresh, joyous, and like nothing else but is immediately recognizable as the sound of Vampire Weekend.Pop Music CDs
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