The boys have grown up
Songs more busy, full of heart
Still, backlash will come
Notes: So Vampire Weekend's Contra has been out for almost a month (even longer if you count those scurvy digital pirates) and most everyone has by now come to their own critical conclusions. There are plenty of those who dig it and plenty of those who despise it, but most subjective minds (should) agree that the record is a solid sophomore effort.
Put me in that last camp. Upon my first few listens, I felt the record came off as top heavy, but the more time I spent with it, the album felt back loaded. Now, things have evened out in my ears and while Contra may have at first sounded foreign, the parallels to Vampire Weekend are much more obvious.
For example, from a thematic perspective, it's pretty clear that these things equate:
Horchata = Oxford Comma
Cousins = A-Punk
California English = M79
I Think Ur a Contra = The Kids Don't Stand a Chance
Which is just fine. While the East Coast, boat shoe lovin' quartet may have added a bevy of bells and whistles to their sound, they're still the Vampire Weekend you know and love. Or hate. Still, VMPR WKND do take some risks. For starters, this record isn't nearly as immediate as its descendant; those hooks are harder to fish out this time around. And those bell and whistles I mentioned? They add some unique sonic depth and shoehorn fresh ideas into Ezra's blue blooded lyrical playground.
By definition, Contra's a successful sophomore record: it sticks with a working formula, but throws enough curve to distinguish it from its predecessor. If you're a fan of Vampire Weekend, you already own it. If you loathe them, you've already bashed it. Move along, there's nothing left to see.
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Horchata - Vampire Weekend
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