Two years ago, Vampire Weekend released its self'minus;titled debut album to widespread critical acclaim and immediate commercial success. On Jan. 12, the New York City'minus;based quartet's sophomore effort 'Contra' hit shelves and iTunes libraries everywhere.
With the arrival of this new album comes the reassuring discovery that one of the collegiate pop scene's most iconic newcomers might just be in this for the long haul. Boasting 10 brand'minus;new tracks of upbeat, academia'minus;tinged pop'minus;rock goodness, 'Contra' has plenty to offer for both fans seeking more of the same and those hoping for a fresh and evolved sound.
Musically, the album represents a significant developmental step forward from its predecessor. 'Vampire Weekend' (2008) was an intriguing pastiche of South African pop rhythms and Viennese classical stylings, and much of that multicultural influence remains evident on 'Contra.'
For example, the intricate'minus;but'minus;repetitive arrangement and vibrant guitar'minus;and'minus;kick'minus;drum breakdowns of 'Holiday' are particularly reminiscent of the band's first album. The opening track, 'Horchata,' evokes new images of Hindustani melody and drone before building progressively to a lush orchestral finale.
At its core, the album remains true to the band's musical roots, but access to professional recording studios has left an indelible mark on the finished product. The slicker, more pop'minus;oriented production values are apparent from the opening bars of the album, and they mesh perfectly with the preppy, carefree vibe that the group's self'minus;produced debut captured so elegantly.
Synthesizers take a more conspicuous role on this album. Songs like 'White Sky' and 'Taxi Cab' are driven by heavily processed percussive samples, while 'Diplomat's Son' is built almost entirely around a perpetual synthesizer passacaglia.
Despite the burgeoning electropop elements, the album stays away from strict electronica, continuing to place mostly acoustic instruments at the forefront. The trademark strings and high harmonies are evident throughout; bandleader Ezra Koenig's virtuosic, fluttery guitar lines continue to dominate on songs like 'Cousins.'
While a handful of the songs on 'Contra' clock in at less than two and a half minutes, the majority are full radio single length. 'Diplomat's Son,' at just shy of six minutes, is the band's longest track to date.
Many of the shorter tracks successfully leave the listener craving more, but some of the longer ones - 'Diplomat's Son' especially - overstay their welcome. The breezy, simplistic, riff'minus;driven sound that Vampire Weekend has worked so hard to cultivate doesn't seem to lend itself very well to sustained, repetitive musings. Nevertheless, it's good to see the band exploring long'minus;form songwriting, and such experiments surely bode well for the continued evolution of the ensemble's sonic palette in the future.
The pinnacle of the band's compositional experimentation comes in the album's closing track - the titular, albeit annoyingly spelled, 'I Think Ur A Contra.' Beginning with warbling, synthetic pads and twittering electric guitar, a delicate and eerie soundscape unfolds. One by one, further layers are injected into the mix, featuring piano, drum machine, hand drums, shakers, acoustic guitars and a string quartet in cyclical, prominent roles that wash over the listener like some primal, polyrhythmic eardrum massage. Koenig's vocals are fluid and dramatic, bringing to mind the work of Thom Yorke on Radiohead's 'OK Computer' (1997) or Ryan Adams on 'Love Is Hell' (2004).
Above all, the album's greatest joy lies in the marvelous fact that none of the tracks sound alike. Even within the confines of the ultra'minus;distinctive Vampire Weekend sound, which has carried over so evidently from the band's first album to this one, each track has been infused with a unique sonic flavor.
Every song is a treasure to explore in its own right, and none so much as the positively magical 'Giving Up The Gun.' As the opening electronic flourishes melt away to expose a thudding, bassy guitar vamp and high, ethereal chimes, it's suddenly the easiest thing in the world to simply close one's eyes, float away into the music and follow the current wherever it chooses to flow.
