I want to start by stating flat out that I did not have high hopes for this record, primarily because of the after-hype that surrounded the first record. I remember sitting in the office at WDCE 90.1FM at the University of Richmond in 2007 as I pulled Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut out of its mailing envelope. My first thought was probably something like, "Whoa, solid band name," only to find out later that it was the title of a film project or amateur screenplay written by one of the band members. We received hundreds of records each week from independent record labels from all over the world, and seeing as though we had a small staff at WDCE, a majority of these records fell by the wayside. We just didn't have the manpower to review all of the records. For whatever reason, I decided that this would be one of the few records that I would review that day. I was taken aback by the originality of that record. The songs were so catchy, the melodies were so clever, and the instrumentation was so unique. While I thought I had stumbled upon a secret goldmine of indie treasure, the next few weeks would see the band's popularity among indie circles reach astronomical levels. They hit the festival circuit and never looked back.
Now it's time to back up the hype that surrounds this band. Sure, they put on a phenomenal debut record, but could they walk that fine line between consistency and originality? If you remain too consistent, you're deemed unoriginal and the magic is gone. You do something too original, you lose the luster that defined your band in the first place.
I'm actually rather happy that my initial predictions about this album were dead wrong. Vampire Weekend have done what seemed impossible and followed up their debut with a record of comparable scope and depth. Their lyrical prowess has progressed, their genres have varied, and the structure of their new tracks seems bolder than those on their debut album. You'll still get that staccato intonation that seemed to define their sound two years ago, but now with more complex breakdowns and more original percussive fills. "Holiday" serves as a prime example of this phenomenon.
Another element that has enhanced the scope of the band's sound is the fact that they seem to have further embraced electronic elements without compromising the instrumental integrity that they're fan base has come to know and love. Check out the eight-bit samples on "Run" and the M.I.A sample on "Diplomat's Son." Hell, one could even classify "Giving Up the Gun" as "dance-able."
It sounds as if the band perfected the opposite poles of their musical spectrum on "Contra," whereas their debut effectively established their middle ground. What I mean by this observation is that the songs on "Contra" further explore the mellow and frantic tendencies of their music, respectively. The scatter-brained strumming of "Cousins" conversely compliments the softer tones of "Taxi Cab." The opposite ends of this albums effectively demonstrate this observation as well. Where "Horchata" seems to make a statement about the bands musical progression and melodic complexity, "I Think Ur a Contra" fades the record out with an eerie simplicity.
My one gripe with the record, and this could very well be a personal gripe, is the fact that the band has lyrically moved to a place that is harder to relate to. While most of the songs on their debut album seemed like they would suit a quiet Sunday afternoon on campus quite perfectly, the lyrics feature on "Contra" make me feel like the band has grown up a lot faster than I have. I enjoyed "Little John, he always tells the truth" infinitely more than "In December, drinking horchata, I'd look psychotic in a balaclava."
Ultimately, this record has me excited about the state of music in 2010. While I thought I would be starting out the year reviewing a disappointing sophomore effort, I've instead been pleasantly surprised.
8.9 out of 10
