Vampire Weekend Part II - Contra

XL Recordings (1-12-10) The second offering from this foursome of Columbia University bandmates is laced with the same catchy, rhythmic fare as their self-titled debut. With a unique sound that blends influences from traditional African music, island reggae, and ska (amongst others), Vampire Weekend continues to explore a new avenue in indie pop. The album begins with the track "Horchata", a syncopated melody with saccharin accents which flow as easily over your speakers as chai tea over your palate. "Cousins", the first iTunes single released from the album, emotes the winding guitars and upbeat tempo of "A-punk", and "Giving Up the Gun" is a pleasing base-carried departure from their typical format. The album is punctuated with "I Think Ur A Contra", on which Ezra Koenig muses "my revolution thoughts, your little arrows of desire, I want to trace the source...you're going to watch out for yourself, and so will I". This bookend track is a creeping ride to a connection severed, and the quiet contemplation of the path not taken. The alternate path appears to be Vampire Weekend's modus operandi, and that's fine by me.

Rating: 4 out of 5