Album Review: Contra - Vampire Weekend

When it comes to music, sometimes it’s ok to be different, as long as you’re good. At the very least, the name “Vampire Weekend” gets your attention. Their music is pretty unique too. I’ll admit that this is the first album I’ve ever heard from them, and it’s interesting in a good way.

First off, the lead vocalist sounds like Paul Simon with little traces of Sting on certain tracks. The music itself features a mix of influences - African and electronic are the most prominent ones I hear. Two songs stand out to me in particular:


Overall, the music has a happy sound to it, and there really isn’t any track that I couldn’t at least listen to the whole way through. Contra would be a fitting soundtrack for a roadtrip to nowhere in particular, an indie film about nothing in particular, or a kids movie like Where The Wild Things Are. And that’s not intended as a knock - it’s really a compliment to its versatility.

I give the album a 4.25 out of 5. It’s different, it’s enjoyable, and while it lacks a truly transcendent single, it’s consistently good. You can’t ask much more from music these days.

Listen to samples and download the album: