Vampire Weekend - Contra (XL)

The sophomore effort from Vampire Weekend, takes us back to those preppy days on the green with our cocktails in hand, at that rich relative's estate that we wish we had. Yes, these young lads have crafted another catchy album laced w/hooky guitars, afro-beat rhythms, and witty lyrics that most of us can't relate to, but isn't that what makes them so unique?

Contra is great follow up to the hard to follow first record by Vampire Weekend. The opening track, "Horchata," and its bouncy rhythym only gets bigger at the chorus. It is very transcendent of...I don't know... Paul Simon's - Graceland? Ezra Koenig's falsetto stabs on the second track "White Sky" fit well over the landscape of banging drums. This is indie-pop at its finest. I'm not a big fan of the second single from the album, "Cousins," as it seems a little to easy, and directly to the point for them. The track is probably the most uptempo song on the record, and for me, I like my Vampire Weekend slower with a groove.  "A-Punk" was my least favorite song on the first album, but hey, maybe its just me?

You can dislike them if you want for their off kilter stage banter (from what I've heard at their appearance at the Roots picnic this year) but, the kids are alright and their making some good records.

The Score: 7.5 out of 10 bells
The Math: Paul Simon's Graceland + Wes Anderson film scores = Contra