Tuesday's Recommended Release

by Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Post to Twitter

When Vampire Weekend released their CD-R demo and then their self-titled debut we were one of the many haters that lined up to scorn the band for taking from Paul Simon and for being posh, suburban, white kids playing on some tribal African sounds. We were among those that called it boring and weak, but really we were just revolting against the sudden popularity of the band, feeling they hadn’t had to earn the sudden respect and reviews they had garnered. It is rare for a blogger of any type to admit he or she is wrong, but in the case of Vampire Weekend we were so far off base that we probably should have received abusive death threats in the comments section.

It took us a while but slowly and surely Vampire Weekend filled us with the warm feelings only our favorite records can truly inspire us to. The record has since become one of the most played records we own and we’ve actually come to enjoy their live show and everything that goes along with the whole Vampire Weekend aesthetic. Because of all that we sat in anticipation as slowly the record came to us, first with the "Horchata" single then the "Cousins" 7", and finally the leak of the whole damn record. Since that day a week or so ago we have listened to Contra practically non-stop, racking up listens and learning the words to all these catchy new songs, and as we’ve listened we have been debating whether Contra lives up to all the hype surrounding the first record, whether it falls short of reaching those heights, or if it actually goes beyond what we heard on their debut, and after much thought on the subject we’re starting to think this is actually a better record than their self-titled debut was.

Like the self-titled debut, Contra features a lot similar sounds - the same tribal percussion, lots of playful synths and samples, and the steady, subtle voice of Ezra Koenig (although it is AutoTuned quite a bit) - and because of all the similarities Contra winds up being just as immediate as its predecessor. By the time "Horchata" is finished opening up the record there is little chance you will escape from listening without at least one of the songs being stuck in your head for days to come. Everything seems prepped to make the biggest impression upon as possible, whether it’s the gentle plinking of a piano, an M.I.A. sample, or those much talked about rhythms that everything else is built upon, they are all prepared and played to perfection and arranged in just a way so that each element seems to have it’s own time in the spotlight.

Lyrically the band has shifted just a bit away from the life of privilege lyrics that may have offended more than a few the first time out. This time they are still entirely obsessed with image, just as most of the Western world is, but they take a look at it in a bit of a different way opting for more subtle observations on society’s narcissistic nature rather than overt ones. Either way there is still the overall feeling that Vampire Weekend are better off than most which is a huge reason why there are so many vehement opponents to their music but people need to get over themselves. If this sort of catchy indie pop were made by a band of poor, under educated artists it would be applauded for its wry observations instead of maligned like it currently is.

As much as you may try to fight the presence of Vampire Weekend the band just is not going to go away, they have planned a media onslaught for the release of this record that just doesn’t exist anymore with appearances on all the late night talk shows, radio drop-ins, concerts, and more. For the next few months, and probably throughout 2010 you will be assaulted by Vampire Weekend so maybe it’s time to give up your pretentious hatred of the band and simply give in to the allure of their dynamic and joyous sounds. It’s either that or you can grumble about how much you hate them on message boards and comment sections. We tried it for a while too, but resistance is truly futile!
Vampire Weekend - "Horchata"
Vampire Weekend - "White Sky"
Vampire Weekend - "California English"
Vampire Weekend - "Cousins"<!-- begin insound affiliate banner link -->

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