Some bands stick to the same recipe that brought them success, while others take completely different paths. For this second album, Vampire Weekend does neither, but both, once again overturning rock conventions. "Holiday," "Run," and the first single "Cousins" present themselves as future Vampire Weekend classics: dynamic, ingenious tracks with jerky rhythms that draw their influences from ska or Central African music. Others are slower and sadder than usual, such as "I Think Ur a Contra" or "Taxi Cab." The band also surprises us with "California English," where, amidst layers of guitars and slightly over-the-top bachata rhythms, Ezra gives pride of place to auto-tune, so dear to T-Pain and Kanye West. Finally, Vampire Weekend delights us with "Diplomat's Son," one of the album's most surprising tracks due to its length (over six minutes) and the musical universe it represents—a predominantly electro track, falsely reggaeton, mixed with Brazilian baile funk! Developed at the beginning of this year after touring the planet for nearly 18 months, "Contra" will almost certainly establish Vampire Weekend as one of the great bands of this decade, capable of brilliantly and subtly combining diverse influences while creating its own unique identity.
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