Pampelmoose by Dave Allen of Gang of Four — music . media . web. culture

The weight of expectations could do some damage to cursory listeners of Vampire Weekend’s second album. Likely the band expects this though, considering the heaps of praise and press laid upon them following the release of their 2008 self-titled debut. And truth be told, that album was always going to be a hard act to follow. Vampire Weekend was as loose and rubbery and joyous a record as you’re likely to come across. But only 34 minutes long, it left many a listener desperate for the next chapter.

It has finally been written in the guise of Contra, a fine follow up that shows the band expanding on their World Music absorbing sound without forcing themselves to write “Oxford Comma (Part 2)”. What they have done is injected touches of New Wave pop into the mix, letting burbling synths dance over the splashy grooves of “White Sky” and running themselves ragged on the album’s speedy and strange lead single “Cousins”.

What Contra is missing is the effortless feel of its predecessor. In fact, there are plenty of times throughout out the album where you can almost hear the band breaking a sweat as they strain to prove their maturity. It’s an effort that leads to plodding songs like “Taxi Cab” and “I Think UR A Contra” both of which express a sweet romanticism but wrap it up in attempts to remake the soundscapes of Talk Talk and Brian Eno that are quaint but misguided.

For a sophomore effort, especially one laden down with hype, buzz and the trembling fears of a hungry blogosphere, Vampire Weekend come away with a solid, better than average album that will please the masses. It’s not a record that grabs you right away as the first album did, but it will sink into your joints and soothe you on repeated listens.

Vampire Weekend – Horchata