Vampire Weekend
Contra
America Canada some bands stay in a holding pattern their whole careers others jerk the steering wheel hard and fly off the road on their second album vampire weekend do neither or maybe they do both i think we sound more like vampire weekend than we did on the first record says drummer christopher tomson 'contra' pulls off a series of impressive feats it's bustling with fresh ideas and yet it sounds immediately familiar it's heavily layered but taut and kinetic it chews ravenously through sound palettes and rhythms and yet it's nimble and assured it's still breezy and yet it smolders with a newfound emotional heft it's sadder than the first one a bit more sentimental says singer ezra koenig the songs are catchy fast twinkling clattering the darker themes of loss doubt and regret accumulate almost imperceptibly but they land a powerful blow ideas for this record had been bubbling since before the release of their debut the band started recording in january 2009 only two weeks after finishing an 18month world tour supporting their first record they had initially planned to work in california feeling that the new record's spiritual home was the west coast the decision to work in new york however ultimately provided the freedom and perspective to properly realize their vision that march the band toured mexico for the first time they recorded new material blocks away from frida kahlo's house in the coyoacn neighbourhood of mexico city in monterrey they found a kindred spirit in dj producer toy selectah exchanging ideas and philosophies over days spent listening to records in his home studio they returned to new york energized the finished product explodes any reductive notions of what constitutes vampire weekend's sound and aesthetic the varied influences here include thirdwave ska the hallelujah chicken run band brazilian baile funk congolese thumb pianos repo man sublime's 40 oz to freedom reggaeton bachata bollywood philip roth beethoven nyc 1983 dancehall and the beastie boys' second album 'paul's boutique' all of these influences are incorporated with subtlety and sophistication woven together into a seamless fabric of references that heard in full resembles nothing so much as itself vampire weekend's music and lyrics serve to both construct and deconstruct a world around them like the word 'contra' itself the songs are layered with meaning and invite interpretation with this album vampire weekend have staked out an alien territory literate crackling alive that's unmistakably their own
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