VAMPIRE WEKEND "CONTRA" review

GENRE(S): Indie Rock, World Beat.

LOOK: “Some people get really mad when they see a white blonde girl wearing a Polo shirt”, VampWeek front-man, Ezra Koenig exclaims. I know what he’s talking about, in an alienated sort of way (it’s the fat-kid-playing-dodge-ball in me talking). This girl’s identity is unknown. What we do know, this picture was snapped in 1983. This continual trend of Polaroid-looking album covers is a nice signature for our Ivy League quartet. I’m not into blondes, but I’m a sucker for the preppy look: Polos, boat shoes, khakis, New England, etc. On top of that I wouldn’t say I’m a sucker for the Futura typeface; I am STUPID-IN-LOVE with it! VW knows what I like.

LISTEN: “I’ve tried. Lord knows I’ve tried! Vampire Weekend, on paper, should be one of my favorite bands. Maybe I just don’t get it (it’s happened to me before, I’ll “get it” 5 years later). I cannot spin their records for more than fifteen minutes without getting bored.” This was me before. Contra may have changed my mind.

“Horchata”, “White Sky”, and “Holiday”, the first three tracks, are a trifecta. Serving like a memoir they cover winter in Mexico, spring in The City, and summer on The Shore. From this perfect beginning you’ll hear Contra’s departure from Vampire Weekend: more keyboards, less guitar.

I could’ve done without “California English”, but soon we recoil back into place with “Taxi Cab” (the closest VW will get to a ballad). The pace soon picks up again. “Run” brings guitar back into play, lyrics reflecting on what I’m assuming is life before rock stardom. “Cousins” feels like a track left over from Vampire Weekend, the obvious transitional track from one album to the next. After the seventh inning stretch we get “Give Up The Gun”, you’ll hear why it was chosen as the first single for this album.

Contra is a fun, polished effort. It’s a gasp of fresh air between the stale depression too many bands offer. I won’t say this album is perfect, but It’s pretty damn close. So solid Contra is, I will forgive “California English” and the Ra Ra Riot sounding “I Think Ur a Contra”; everything has its weaknesses.

SPEAK: Ivy Leaguers with a hipster twist, that’s what these guys are. The picture says it all!

FACEBOOK – TWITTER – WEBSITE – MYSPACE - AMAZON - iTUNES

ALBUM GRADE: B
ALBUM ARTWORK: C
DO WE HAVE A FIT? YES!