Free lunch: Vampire Weekend – "Contra"
Listen to “Cousins” from Contra
Rating: 7/10
It seems like the Yale-born Vampire Weekend lads have more to defend than they do tools to fight with. Seemingly born with a musical silver spoon in their mouths, they were graced with an ivy-league pedigree that instantly hindered their “African street cred” upon becoming the most hyped band in the entire blogosphere in 2008.
Even Alice Cooper was getting in on the act:
From noisecreep.com: “I do get a little annoyed that it seems like a lot of bands that come out now that I read, ‘The greatest band that I’ve ever heard,’” he said. “And I see them and I go, ‘There’s absolutely no testosterone in this band.’
“I’m getting a lot of bands that are kind of going, ‘Oh, the summer in the rain and aren’t lightning bugs wonderful?’ And I’m going, ‘What kind of drug are you on?’ I think if you asked Ozzy, Iggy and all the other people that come from our generation, we’re kind of hoping the young guys step it up a little bit when it comes to being guys.”
In the same vein, I was immediately disappointed in Vampire Weekend upon seeing live videos. After hearing “A-Punk”, the first MTV-bed single off of their self-titled, I imagined a young, garage rock quartet, with roots clearly rooted in Joe Strummer and Paul Simon. I was a little surprised to see a boat-shoe wearing, up-turned collar bunch of guys from the ivy-league churning out the afro-rhythms . . . immediately I had a conflict of conscience.
Regardless of their aesthetic (which I’m slowly convincing myself rock isn’t about anymore), there’s no denying that Vampire Weekend are good at what they do. On Contra, the band has most definitely broken the sophomore slump and made a timely, catchy record that will really speak to new-comers and devotees alike.
The band’s first single, “Horchata” is a very light, plucked, melody with a sly steel drum chorus that gently pushes you into the album. Unfortunately, it is definitely not the defining moment on the record. The payoff is really in the surf-guitar, Beach Boys-like moments on “Holiday”, “I Think UR a Contra”, and “Cousins”, definitely the best track on the album. Lots of bands are following suit in the 1960s, surf-jangle craze that’s going on these days, and I can’t help but think it started with Vampire Weekend a few years back.
Vampire Weekend actually took some work for me to love. At first, I was the condescending critic who judged them completely on looks and pedigree, ignoring that the band made some decent music. This being said, don’t believe the hype on the first album . . . believe the hype on Contra. This second album proves more to me that a band can function on their talent without conforming to meet their indie-buzz.
Alice Cooper (as much as I love him) is just jealous he didn’t think of the name Vampire Weekend first.
Download Horchata
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