Review Summary: Their sophomore release is unlikely to have a huge impact on any already-formed opinions of the New York indie-rockers, but it's a very solid record, and hints at even stronger potential.
In a pop music scene so intent on dumbing down and appealing to the lowest common denominator, it's refreshing to see a band like Vampire Weekend seem content with remaining enigmatic and, well, different. The New York indie-rockers' debut proved this desire, distancing itself from other mainstream acts with its fusion of African rhythms, world music influences, classical edges and modern indie-pop, and if anything their sophomore release,
Contra, seals that deal. A more mature and subtle record on the whole, it sees a band who have a good idea of who they are progress in a number of important ways while maintaining their core ideas. Sometimes this leads to them falling down the same holes that
Vampire Weekend occasionally saw them disappear into, but for the most part it means another dose of enjoyable, pretty, upbeat pop songs about intangible scenes.
Contra is predominantly a more mellow offering than its predecessor, choosing bubbling synths instead of extroverted rhythm sections. There are notable exceptions to this rule: 'Cousins' is a fairly straightforward, almost punkish song which is carried by a relentlessly energetic rhythm section and snaps of frantic guitar, and fares exceptionally well for the time it lasts. It's followed, however, by the album's single best track - 'Giving Up The Gun' - which blends a creeping bassline with glockenspiel and a narrow vocal melody which matches the track's mood perfectly and invades slowly to become wickedly intoxicating. The song's structure and toe-tapping beat makes it the type you can envision hipster kids dancing to every night for the rest of their lives, and the last, affecting chorus makes the cut a dead-cert for the record's best.
Vampire Weekend know the importance of that last chorus, the same way they know their way around a multitude of melodies; for all their quirks and clean-cut, anti-cool coolness, they're accessible for the same reason Animal Collective found mainstream acclaim in 2008 - their ability to mix the layers and facets that make them unique with jaw-dropping, uplifting hooks and tunes. Electronic blips and bongos collide at the end of 'Diplomat's Son', but it works, not as a mess of uninformed experimentation but as a pretty, majestic coda to a good pop track. It also helps that
Contra's production is top-notch, so as 'I Think Ur A Contra' swims through numerous passages the volume and mix clarity varies with impressive effect, so that when Koenig sings, "Never pick sides, never choose between two, but I just wanted you... I just wanted you," it's one of the rare moments that Contra fires on all cannons.
This is where Vampire Weekend should head next: their 2010 record is a sweet, intriguing record which keeps your attention and finally hints at having something more than sweet melody and inherent intrigue; that last line, joined with a couple more of the record's tender touches, implies they're a band capable of injecting real emotion on a level deeper than they've previously showed, whilst guarding what sets them apart from cookie-cutter indie bands of the late 00s. It evidences songwriting flexibility, minor shifts in aesthetic and the ability to still do everything their debut did well. All things considered, though, as a sophomore release that proves solid both in terms of current output and perhaps moreso in terms of potential,
Contra is a definite success, and if you're looking to start 2010 in a happy, chic way, you could do a lot, lot worse.
