Vampire Weekend: 'Contra' (XL)
2. White Sky
3. Holiday
4. California English
5. Taxi Cab
6. Run
7. Cousins
8. Giving Up The Gun
9. Diplomat's Son
10. I Think Ur A Contra
Here's a question for you? Does anyone 'get' Vampire Weekend?
While the critics raved about their eponymous debut album back in 2008, NME-Europe was a little bemused on two accounts; the general quality of the album itself and the media hype surrounding it. (Maybe being told this was a great album didn't suit me). Still, always prepared to give the benefit of the doubt, NME-Europe decided to give this quartet of New Yorkers another crack of the whip with 'Contra'.
The outcome? After a month of listening, it's still hard to tell!
It's hard to make up your mind on this one. Sometimes, it sounds great, yet others it's annoying. However, on the whole 'Contra' appears to be a step forward. Tracks like opener 'Horchata', the happy-go-lucky 'Holiday' or the frenetic 'Cousins' (see video below) are all decent ear candy and make good the self-proclaimed "Upper West Side Soweto" sound. Unfortunately, there are also one or two 'low points' where the band just seem to switch off or, at the very least, certain tracks don't seem to tie in well with the rest - 'Taxi Cab' and 'Diplomat's Son' spring to mind.
Perhaps Vampire Weekend might have benefitted from a release later on in the year, as this is the sort of album one would enjoy more on a sunny afternoon, cold beer in hand. Surely tracks like the aforementioned 'Horchata' or 'Holiday' would sound better around mid-July. However, there's no doubting that they've managed to put together an entertaining, if not magnificent album.
The question still begs. Does anyone 'get' Vampire Weekend? The answer: It's too late, they 'got' us first!
NME-Europe rating: 7/10
Top Track: 'Giving Up The Gun'
Like it, buy it!
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P.A. Meirelles: 'UBM/MBU (2005-2008)'
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