'Contra' is irresistible

Since the release of their self-titled debut album two years ago, Vampire Weekend has become one of the go-to choices for indie rock. At the least, they have certainly become the most popular group for African Rumba-influenced rock, or “Upper West Side Soweto,” as lead singer Ezra Koenig puts it.  

For fans worried the band’s next album would drift too far from that unique sound, “Contra” puts all fears to rest.

The success of the band’s critically acclaimed debut has resulted in inevitably high expectations for a follow-up. Although it’s not quite as instantly exciting, “Contra” delivers on all the levels one hopes it would. Like with “A-Punk,” the album’s first single “Cousins” is up-tempo with a punk vibe. And oddly, like “A-Punk”, the catchy single says little about the band’s common sound. For the majority of the album, they stay rooted in their African and Paul Simon influences.

“White Sky” crackles with its 808 drumbeats and almost wordless refrain. Top 40-style music, this ain’t.

“Horchata” showcases Koenig’s knack for exciting, if sometimes ambiguous lyrics: “In December drinking Horchata / I’d look psychotic in a balaclava.” In the same song, he reminds listeners, “Here comes a feeling you thought you’d forgotten.” And Koenig’s Ivy League education still shines and adds to each song’s charm.

Another gem, “Run,” addresses what many fearful college graduates undoubtedly wish they could do in this troubled economy: “There’s nowhere for us to go / But it struck me that the two of us could run.”

The only miss is “California English,” which uses an unnecessary auto-tune. But the rest of the songs on the album are more-than-worthy additions to the band’s catalog; they are instantly catchy and irresistible. With another first-rate album, Vampire Weekend can expect even higher expectations next time. But after “Contra,” there’s no reason to think they won’t deliver.