Hey there. How ya doin’? Been a while, hasn’t it? Allow me to explain: in January, I started hosting and programming a classic rock/oldies radio show on WECB called Beatles Schmeatles!, so my listening habits have shifted more from the new to the old. That said, I do have a few reviews up my sleeve.
Contra is an interesting case. Just days into 2009, Animal Collective released Merriweather Post Pavilion to cries of “Album of the Year” and similar acclaim. Though Vampire Weekend’s sophomore release wasn’t met with the same art-student/hipster hype, it certainly could end up topping lists by December.
The influences on Contra are a lot more diverse and zany than their debut album, which has pretty safely secured “instant classic” status. I resisted the hype for at least 85 blog years, if not a full blog century, but eventually caved in and loved it, allowing me to fully appreciate Contra. Instead of merely continuing on the path of indie-cum-Afropop, the band has incorporated a lot of new elements. The electronic and sample-delic delights of “White Sky” and “Giving Up the Gun” recall Animal Collective’s recent direction; the Caribbean grooves of “Diplomat’s Son” and “Run” see the band fully embrace their potential for danciness. “California English,” the best track, is a frenetic affair, one of the most genuinely creative and effective uses of Auto-Tune in recent memory. Album closer “I Think Ur A Contra” showcases all that’s great about the band in an atmospheric, relatively serene jaunt, the subtlety of which requires it be played through nice speakers or headphones.
Producer and mastermind Rostam Batmanglij shines on Contra, though the other three members of Vampire Weekend certainly have their moments as well. Ezra Koenig channels Sting and Paul Simon as per usual, on top of being a uniquely charismatic frontman. The rhythm section of Chris Baio and Chris Tomson are at their best on lead single “Cousins,” where they seem to handle the song’s frantic pace with ease and lay down a solid foundation over which Ezra and Rostam are free to do their thing. Overall, the band as a whole are at their best in terms of songwriting and arrangements. Their true strength lies in their ability to produce catchy melodies and complex harmonic resolutions out of simple chord sequences – I, IV and V never sounded so interesting.
I have no shame in loving this album. Call me a sheep or a hipster or whatever you will (shipster?), but I hold that this album features a balanced blend of quality pop music and worldly artistic merit. If it weren’t for the irritating dissonance at the end of “Run,” this would have earned a perfect 10 from me, but it’s still one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. Buy it.
Overall: 9.5/10
