Artist: Vampire Weekend
Album: Contra
Released: January 2010
Label: XL Recordings
Genre: indie rock
Purchase date: 5 Oct 2010
Format: mp3 files
Source: eMusic
Contra is the sophomore album from this polarizing band from New York. The band is an indie rock act that incorporates world music instrumentation, most notably the clean, staccato sound of Afro-pop guitar. (That none of the members of this band of recent Ivy-league graduates are African has drawn criticism of cultural appropriation.)
With Contra, the band has tightened their musicianship and songwriting. The songs are breezy, catchy, and positive, although the lyrics are sometimes hard to decipher. The whole album exudes a level of up-front pleasantness that some critics have objected to (I heard one critic refer to this as "anti-punk"), but I like it. There is so much music that's depressing, dark, and difficult, that I found Contra to be a breath of fresh air. It's music thats...nice, without being saccharine.
So, if you haven't yet checked them out, I do recommend Contra. It won't change your world, but just might make you smile.
Rating: B+
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