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"Contra" is the sophomore album by New York City-based indie rock band Vampire Weekend.
The album delivers a compilation of the band’s unique mix of styles and its revolutionary sound.
Often described as the genre "worldbeat," Vampire Weekend combines folk music from around the world with Western rock and other pop influences to create a style of its own.
In the single "Horchata," lead singer Ezra Koenig sings a mellow, Beach Boys-like tune that is able to calm its listeners and help them imagine escaping to a tropical vacation.
Koenig’s chant-like voice takes turns with energetic instrumentals, infusing its techno- like sounds with its rhythmic percussion.
The track "White Sky" emphasizes the band’s use of whimsical instrumentals and throws in hints of Koenig’s cooing voice to create yet another soothing lullaby-like song.
Slow tunes like these aren’t the only type of music the album has to offer.
Unlike laidback tunes like "Horchata" and "White Sky," Vampire Weekend has included a few energetic dance tunes.
On "Holiday," neither lead singer Koenig’s high-pitched voice nor the fluctuating high-energy guitar stop to take a break throughout the entire song, making it Contra’s most lively song.
Whether its songs are techno dance tunes or chilled-out slow jams and despite its wide range of instrumental influences, all of the tracks contain the same upbeat and optimistic tones.
While no one song on the new album sounds alike due to the band’s experimental style, the majority of the tracks share the ability to cheer up even its grumpiest listeners.
However, because of the band’s distinctive sound, it may not appeal to a broad range of music fans, and sometimes its efforts seem to be too much.
The song "California English," aside from its annoying repetitive drumbeat, has a distorted version of Koenig’s voice that makes it unrecognizable and might cause listeners to think the CD is skipping.
"I Think Ur A Contra" may also throw listeners for a loop with its extra slow and spiritual intro in which Koenig fluctuates his voice far too much, making him continually sound whiney and off-key.
Vampire Weekend’s latest effort contains some relaxing tunes and can put listeners in a good mood with its happy-go-lucky music, but its random lyrics and whacky sounds may prove to be too weird for most listeners.
Grade: C
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