When I listen to Vampire Weekend, a very specific image comes to mind. The image is of a party, probably in the Hamptons, where a bunch of 25-year-oldish, artsy/hipsterish people have gathered on a deck, talking about going to Europe in the coming months to just “see where life takes me,” while Vampire Weekend’s “A-Punk” plays somewhere in the house. That’s what I think of every single time I hear Vampire Weekend. I can’t help it. I associate Vampire Weekend, fairly or not, with artsy/hipsterish people hanging out in the Hamptons. This new album Contra, doesn’t really change that. I just associate Vampire Weekend, and their sound to a life that I’m not a part of and thus; it’s hard for me to really get into the music. Contra picks up where the last album left off. All the songs are a little bouncy, a little quirky and generally pretty happy. The band has expanded the depth of their sound and they have taken some chances here on this new album – all of which work and help prove that the band is at least trying to grow and not just sticking to the sound that was worked for them up to this point. The first track, “Horchata,” is a good example of this as it adds a little south-of-the-border feel to the album. Consequently, “Horchata,” is the perfect sitting on the balcony of a house in the Hamptons talking about going to Europe. The best tracks on Contra are “Horchata,” “Cousins,” “Giving Up the Gun” and “I Think UR a Contra.” It’s hard to explain why these are the best… I guess the hooks on these are better than the rest of the album. If you didn’t enjoy the first album then the likelihood of you liking this album is pretty slim. But, if you have not heard Vampire Weekend, or at least aren’t familiar with them enough to formulate an opinion, than this album might be worth checking out. I do wonder if the band should have sat on this album for a couple months – or at least long enough for the weather to warm up a bit so we can all go hang out on the balcony and talk about going to Europe.
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