I will admit that at first glance, Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanlij, Chris Tomson and Chris Baio looked like nothing more than a stuck-up pack of stylistically challenged frat boys-turned-trendy-urbanites, pining for their five minutes of fame. Standing nervously on the cramped stage at the front of 30 Rock’s most famous studio in March 2008, the quartet of preppily-dressed Manhattanites was exposed to the judging eyes of the Saturday Night Live-watching American public which seemed to scoff at their appearance.
“Who are these guys?” I laughed to my friend when I saw their strategically untucked button-down Oxford blouses which peeked out from under their striped sweater vests. Five minutes later, I found myself gaping at the TV screen in shock as Andy Samberg provided me with my answer as he bid farewell to the group which, before I knew it, became my musical obsession.
Nearly two years later Vampire Weekend is a household name among admirers of indie-pop, a crowd which, since the 2008 release of their self-titled debut album, has been ravenous for more of their work. Their appetite has been satiated now that, after a tour in the US and a stint in Europe, the boys are finally back with their newest collection of musical brilliance: Contra
Because of Vampire Weekend’s overwhelming critical acclaim and the immense fan-base that stemmed from it, the pressure was on to create an album which would stay true to the group’s musical core while giving its audience something fresh to chew over.
Luckily, the immensely talented foursome was able to do more than simply satisfy with its sophomore effort: it amazed. While Vampire Weekend was an eclectic blend of upbeat, hyperactive tunes like “A-Punk” and “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwanzaa,” angst-ridden ballads like “Bryn” and “I Stand Corrected,” and blunt societal rebukes like “Oxford Comma” and “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance,” “Contra” steered the band in a pleasantly different direction.
The album opens with “California English,” a track which juxtaposes both a familiarly fast-paced beat and a startlingly new sound that comes from the band’s first dabble with auto-tune. Although less overtly political this time around, Vampire Weekend still manages to sneak in a few stealthy pushes for pacifism in “Giving up the Gun” when Koenig croons, “And though it’s been a long time, You’re right back where you started from, I see it in your eyes, That now you’re giving up the gun.”
Nestled in the middle of Contra is Horchata which, with its familiar staccato beat coupled with the unusual absence of guitar set the tone for the whole album.
The album’s title track, “Think You’re a Contra” is also a gamechanger for the band. The song’s poignant and uncharacteristically straightforward lyrics which include “Never pick sides, Never choose between two, But I just wanted you” signal to the listener that while Contra is still very much a genuine work of VW art, it is decidedly more romantic than their first album.
The unprecedented emotional rawness reemerges in ‘Taxi Cab’s softly powerful refrain of “You’re not a victim, But neither am I, Nostalgic for garbage, Desperate for time.” After this tranquil ballad, Contra wraps up neatly with “White Sky,” the album’s most ‘poppy’ tune, in which a faint echo of the band’s older work is clearly audible.
Though it is often difficult for even the most talented bands to live up to the hype surrounding their second album, Vampire Weekend has proven once gain why many consider them to be the kings of indie-pop. Equally comfortable while artfully slurring their words of romantic frustration, making political statements, or highlighting the beauty of the of daily life they are in possession of a remarkable talent that the musical world will not soon forget.
