Vampire Weekend's new release Contra.
What’s a band to do? After Vampire Weekend’s 2007 debut earned them every title from “best new band” from Spin to “whitest band” by Stuff White People Like author Christian Lander, the band is at a crossroads on their new disc. Is it better to stick to the tongue-in-cheekiness that earned their debut acclaim, or make the leap into “mature” music? If you’re Vampire Weekend you split the difference and end up with something like Contra.
The album’s title refers to both a group of 1980s Nicaraguan Rebels and a 1980s American video game, and it’s through that gentle sense of contradiction that Contra (the album, that is) becomes as good as it is. The opening song, “Horchata,” certainly sounds like the group’s first album, with its quirky melody and xylophone riff, but other tracks showcase a band that isn’t totally comfortable with the status quo. Singer Ezra Koenig even borders on poetic on “Taxi Cab,” ironically describing himself as “unsentimental” before diving into the best lyrics he’s penned.
But if you think video game immaturity means less to the band than Nicaraguan history books, you’d be wrong (the Tetris-inspired electronics that keep bleeping through the album are proof enough of that). On “Cousins,” Koenig delivers the line “You found a sweater on the ocean floor// They’re gonna find it if you didn’t close the door,” proving absurdity can be just as enjoyable as poetry.
However, it’s ultimately the final song, “I Think UR a Contra” that spells out Vampire Weekend’s stance on immaturity versus maturity when Koenig sings “Never pick sides// Never choose between two.” Vampire Weekend make something both adult and teenage with Contra, with outstanding results.
Contact the reporter at clecher@asu.edu
