What an elephant to be carrying around on your back. On the strength of their debut EP, Vampire Weekend released what was widely considered one of the best releases of 2008 and were hyped accordingly. Probably greater than any other band at the time were the expectations for their sophomore release. After extensive touring and some time to rest, Vampire Weekend come roaring back with their second full-length, Contra. And the time taken to rest has proven invaluable to the band, and to the development of the album. The afro-pop tendencies of their self-titled debut were met with cautious but optimistic acknowledgement by indie kids and mainstream listeners alike, back when the word afro-pop wasn't applied to every upcoming indie band with a knack for rhythm. Contra is a confident album, both in technique and viewpoint. Vampire Weekend are well aware of your like and dislike of them and have acted accordingly, portioning out more of what people hate about them and more of what their fans are always clamoring for. It seems a risk to purposely provoke those who could potentially shell out money for your album, but by doing so, Vampire Weekend have proven that the prevalent hype and backlash have had little effect on them or their music. The exuberant opener "Horchata" takes up where their self-titled left off and the listener is treated to one of the most meticulous batches of pop songs released this year. Vampire Weekend like you, they really do. They just don't care what you think of them. And by creating another set of pretty goddamn perfect pop songs, I'm inclined to let them keep on feeling that way.
Tracklisting:
01. Horchata (listen to the mp3 below)
02. White Sky
03. Holiday
04. California English
05. Taxi Cab
06. Run
07. Cousins
08. Giving Up the Gun
09. Diplomat’s Son
10. I Think Ur a Contra
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