Vampire Weekend - Contra

Vampire Weekend
Contra

It took less than four weeks for 2009 to give us one of the best summer-flavoured albums of the decade, in the form of Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion.

With the snow and ice of January still causing disruption for commuters up and down the country, another acclaimed US act are now returning to quickly make their mark on the new year.

Indeed, what better way to combat the icy shards of January snow than a blast of aural sunshine from New York’s perky indie popsters Vampire Weekend… Right? Well, not quite…

While 2008′s eponymous debut provided a shot in the arm to revellers in sweaty indie clubs across the land with its effortlessly catchy choruses and frequently indecipherable lyrics, Contra is a less immediate beast than its predecessor, which takes more time to settle down.

Though the converted are unlikely to be disappointed in the group’s sophomore effort, the uninitiated listener may need to stay patient when trying to untangle the ten tracks on offer here.

The overly familiar ‘Cousins’ might have suggested more of the same following its recent blanket airplay, but the likes of ‘Diplomat’s Son’ and ‘Taxi Cab’ are multi-layered affairs that stretch the band’s indie-funk template by introducing more electronic effects.

However, that is not to say that Contra represents Vampire Weekend’s Kid A. ‘Run’ and opener ‘Horchata’ are percussion-heavy hits in waiting, proving that lead singer Ezra Koenig and co have not lost their ear for a strong and uplifting melody.

While the influence of The Clash and South American politics have been cited as key influences on Contra, the group’s lyrics remain as willingly obscure as ever, with their trademark knotty syntax still much in evidence.

‘Holiday’ in particular features couplets that would not feel out of place in the final third of James Joyce’s Ulysses.

However, if the New York four-piece border on the willingly obscure at times, they make up for the fact with their abundance of charm, which shines through even the most deliberately low-key moments of the album.

Whether Contra is quite the hit record that the band’s label may have wanted remains another matter. Vampire Weekend are perhaps too playfully anti-conformist to have any truly universal appeal.

But that is hardly a cause for complaint. Contra is a record that holds the listener’s attention for much longer than its predecessor, with its mixture of upbeat tunes and off-kilter electronica slowly revealing more to the patient music fan over time.

By building upon their quirky pop template, Vampire Weekend have overcome those who might have written them off as one-trick ponies. The breezy album of the summer it may not be, but the album of the winter it may just become.

Contra is out now on XL Recordings.

By Daniel Smith