Review Summary: This album succeeds in being trippy and abstract...even for them.
Vampire Weekend first surprised the music world with their self-titled debut album in 2008. What probably surprised them even more was how successful it was. The talented Boston quartet made some noise and turned some heads with their unusual, worldly blend of music and their even more unusual instrument arrangements (the harpsichord anyone?). They wrote songs about issues ranging from environmental to social with topics stretching from lust to grammar, all while giving shout-outs to Peter Gabriel. To be blunt, Vampire Weekend is definitely an odd band…but music fans ate it up and couldn’t wait for seconds. Which brings us to their sophomore release, Contra. Contra takes their unique, classical style and vamps it up about 10 notches. For anyone who’s already puzzled by their obscure nature, I must warn you; nothing is off limits on Contra.
Take the first track, “Horchata”, for example. I mean, he’s singing about a Spanish drink for Christ’s sakes! However as I’ve come to learn from Vampire Weekend, the subject matter often doesn’t matter. The simple melody and the way Ezra Koenig stresses certain words in his vocal delivery are the band’s bread and butter, and there’s a lot of bread to be buttered on Contra. Pretty much anything that makes noise makes an appearance on this record, adding many different dimensions but never overshadowing Koenig’s voice. “White Sky” is probably the tamest song on the album (and even that’s a stretch) using the band simply as a sound bed playing underneath Koenig’s strong falsetto. Others like “Holiday” & “California English” follow the up-tempo style that won them so many fans. The strings are out in full effect as well as a brief experimentation with auto tune. Wait…auto tune?! Well, they can always be forgiven for that.
When talking about Vampire Weekend, there really are only two sides. The fast, aggressive string-driven side and the soft, slow piano-driven side, “Taxi Cab” explores the latter bringing the listener back down to earth for if only a little while. “Run” jogs off in a completely different direction, using pipes and synthesizers while the first single “Cousins” sees the band go from 0-60 in less than 5 seconds, a speed they maintain all the way up until the song’s sudden halt. “Giving Up The Gun” has become my personal favourite. The consistent drum beat, simple bass-line and infectious use of bells give this one all the makings of a great indie-rock song…and don’t forget to add stellar songwriting to the mix: “My ears are blown to bits/from all the rifle hits/ but still I crave the sound.”
“Diplomat’s Son” is the only detour on an otherwise direct, if not bumpy road trip that is Contra. Clocking in at just over 6 minutes, it’s the only song on the album that eclipses the 5-minute mark and with good reason. Synths, keys and nearly ever percussion instrument imaginable make a guest appearance here, all adding to the song’s jungle-like vibe as peculiar, (hopefully) sarcastic lyrics continue to pop up: “Last night I smoked a joint with my best friend/We found ourselves in bed/When I woke up he was gone” The last song, “I Think Ur A Contra” is the soothing lullaby that puts the album to sleep. Nothing special here, just another day at the office coming to a close for Boston’s finest.
While I wouldn’t consider Contra an experimental record or a new direction for the band, it definitely is much different from their previous efforts. Combining even more instruments (the harpsichord and xylophone just to name a few) and fusing even more musical styles together, Vampire Weekend’s made a point that they aren’t going anywhere. Now I’m just left wondering what kind of kooky, abstract album they’ll churn out next. I mean, they have to be running out of instruments by now…right? Maybe we’ll see a didgeridoo on the next album? I wouldn’t laugh, when it comes to Vampire Weekend, nothing is off limits.
