Vampire Weekend

Contra (XL)

By Kelley N. Hecker
Published: January 27th, 2010 | 12:15pm

Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut — officially released in January 2008 but circulating as a self-released CD-R the previous year — had tongues wagging in the indie blogosphere with names like Spin Magazine proclaiming the quartet the year’s “best new band.” As is always the case with buzz bands, Vampire Weekend immediately became a group people either loved or hated. To some, the Columbia University grads were seen as privileged WASPs and the band’s boat shoes, preppy attire, and hyper–literate lyrics were regarded with nothing but vitriol, leaving 2010’s follow-up Contra (XL) with a hell of a lot riding on it.

However, unlike other former buzz bands such as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Koenig and company’s sophomore effort doesn’t disappoint — in fact, it could be argued that Contra is even better than the debut as the band successfully explores new territory stranger than anything on Vampire Weekend yet still catchy and accessible. Opener “Horchata” begins, “In December drinking Horchata / I'd look psychotic in a balaclava,” delivering the same Vampire Weekend guise unlikely to convert any haters — a shame considering there’s a lot to love about Contra. On “Horchata,” Koening’s initial crooning of “Here comes the feeling you thought you’d forgotten,” just before the drums and chorus kick in is a flat-out joyous, goosebump–inducing moment.

“White Sky,” a song Vampire Weekend regularly played live in 2008 and 2009, has Koenig setting down the guitar in favor of his falsetto to create a glorious, carefree collection of “oohs” as the keyboard propels the song along. Later, the beautiful ballad “Taxi Cab” showcases Koenig’s feathery vocals and a vulnerability that the band hereto hadn’t shown. Closer track “I Think Ur a Contra” is a sparse, dreamy number with Koenig softly singing “Never pick sides, never choose between two / But I just wanted you, I just wanted you.” It’s the perfect ending to an album that gets better with each spin.

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Vampire Weekend official site

Vampire Weekend MySpace page

XL Recordings