Contra – Vampire WeekendFor some reason, and I don’t know why, I became increasingly interested in Vampire Weekend as the release date for this record neared. I revisited their first album, only to discover that I actually liked it quite a bit more than I did when I first gave it a listen. I watched all their videos and fell in love with their charming, ultimate-college-band image. When Pitchfork released the video for the lead single off of Contra, “Cousins” I watched it about ten times that day.It was a pretty Vampire Weekend-intense week.On Contra, the ‘it’ band of 2008 return to prove that their debut was no fluke. And to a degree, they are successful, without forcing themselves to adhere to the winning formula that earned them such high critical praise.The Vampire Weekend that shows up on Contra is more mature and much more willing to take risks with their song-writing and their arrangements. Not limiting themselves to the familiar tones that were present throughout their debut, Vampire Weekend show that they aren’t afraid to show off a bit, even outside their comfort zones (as demonstrated in the endurance test that is “Cousins”). Contra also contains a much wider range of sounds and stylistic nuances, especially with the addition of electro-based tracks like “White Sky” and “Giving Up the Gun” (however, that isn’t to say that they stray completely from what they know best as “Holiday” sounds like it was written the day after their first record was released).Because of this, however, Contra does feel disconnected from itself at times. The band seems distracted or unfocused with their songwriting route, offering songs that diverge from the major musical themes that unify the album (like “Holiday” or “California English”).My biggest complaint about this record (although a little superficial), is that it is not nearly as fun as their debut. While the songs are good, and many of them quite memorable and even some of their best work, Contra takes itself a little more serious than I’d like from a band I associate with road trips to California.In the end, Contra is more than worth a listen. It is an appropriate and adequate way to start off a year of new music, all the while justifying Vampire Weekend as a significant player in the independent music world.Favourite Tracks: “White Sky”, “Giving Up the Gun”, “Cousins”