Despite their debt to Paul Simon’s 1986 ‘Graceland’ album, thesophisticated indie Afro-pop of Vampire Weekend’s eponymous 2008 debut sounded utterly fresh, showcasing both breeziness and depth, while drawing on the interchangeability of melody and rhythm found in major strands of African music.

Their follow up, ‘Contra’, is as gem-like as its predecessor and finds inventive new ways to do the same thing as before the classic task of a second album. There are fewer guitars and a far richer soundbed and the African sources are still audible, but this time, Congolese thumb pianos, redolent of Konono No 1, crop up on “Horchata”, while other fresh influences include Puerto Rican reggaeton, Jamaican dancehall, and Californian ska-punk.(Guardian)

Tracklist:
A1 Horchata 3:27
A2 White Sky 2:59
A3 Holiday 2:18
A4 California English 2:30
A5 Taxi Cab 3:56
A6 Run 3:53
B1 Cousins 2:25
B2 Giving Up The Gun 4:46
B3 Diplomat’s Son 6:01
B4 I Think Ur A Contra 4:26

Despite their debt to Paul Simon’s 1986 ‘Graceland’ album, thesophisticated indie Afro-pop of Vampire Weekend’s eponymous 2008 debut sounded utterly fresh, showcasing both breeziness and depth, while drawing on the interchangeability of melody and rhythm found in major strands of African music.

Their follow up, ‘Contra’, is as gem-like as its predecessor and finds inventive new ways to do the same thing as before the classic task of a second album. There are fewer guitars and a far richer soundbed and the African sources are still audible, but this time, Congolese thumb pianos, redolent of Konono No 1, crop up on “Horchata”, while other fresh influences include Puerto Rican reggaeton, Jamaican dancehall, and Californian ska-punk.(Guardian)

Tracklist:
A1 Horchata 3:27
A2 White Sky 2:59
A3 Holiday 2:18
A4 California English 2:30
A5 Taxi Cab 3:56
A6 Run 3:53
B1 Cousins 2:25
B2 Giving Up The Gun 4:46
B3 Diplomat’s Son 6:01
B4 I Think Ur A Contra 4:26