Review: Vampire Weekend explores new territories on "Contra

In many ways, a band's second album is an excellent barometer for gauging their musical legitimacy. A sophomore release can reveal whether a band is a consistent and original force, or whether they are merely a flash in the pan. On their latest album, Contra, Vampire Weekend proves that they are more than just the indie flavor of the week. Because Vampire Weekend is still so young, it is impossible to listen to Contra without comparing it to the band's first 2008 self-titled release. On Vampire Weekend, the band introduced listeners to their unique sound by mixing bouncy guitar riffs and classical string arrangements with African beats. New listeners might remember Vampire Weekend from the opening scenes of the 2008 comedy Step Brothers, where the upbeat song "A-Punk" accompanies Will Ferrell while he makes nachos. Contra is definitely a step outside the boundaries established in Vampire Weekend. The first album is characterized by a crisp and natural guitar sound and a clean keyboard tone. Vampire Weekend's earlier songs like "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," "Wolcott," and "Campus" capture the feeling of Ivy League college life in the Northeast. It is no surprise to learn that all four band members met on the campus of Columbia University.

However, after listening to Contra, one can tell that Vampire Weekend has left the college campus and ventured outside the Northeast. The album begins with, "In December, drinking Horchata, / I'd look psychotic in a balaclava / Winter's cold is too much to handle / Pincher crabs that pinch at your sandals." As lead singer Ezra Koenig softly finishes these lyrics, a festive chorus of drums bursts through. This unique percussion combined with the melodic use of marimba lets the listeners know that Vampire Weekend is not afraid to explore new musical territories.

On Contra, Vampire Weekend not only experiments with instrumentation, but also takes a risk by using new technology. The album is layered with synthesizers, samples, distortion and a refreshing use of Auto-tune. Songs like "I Think UR A Contra" and "Giving Up The Gun" are infused with electronic tracks that serve to add a contemporary energy to the music. Yet, Vampire Weekend chooses to use technology in a tasteful and temperate manner. On the song "Diplomat's Son," electronic samples and violins blend harmoniously over a reggae piano rhythm. This ability to merge a variety of styles to create a completely new sound can be partially attributed to the band's multitalented keyboard player Rostam Batmanglij. In the liner notes, Batmanglij is credited with the keyboards, piano, harpsichord, drums, shakers, vocal harmonies, string arrangements, synthesizer, sampler programming and guitar. Further exploration of the liner notes will also reveal the Batmanglij actually produced the entire album. The fact that one of the members of the band produced the album means that Contra is pure Vampire Weekend. It has not been filtered or watered-down by any outside sources.

Personally, what keeps me interested in Vampire Weekend is drummer Christopher Tomson. After listening to their first album, I fell in love with Tomson's style of playing. Tomson's playing is full of life. He always adds extra idiosyncratic drum hits to keep the listener's attention. One can easily listen to both Vampire Weekend and Contra the entire way through focusing only on the drums and never be bored. Drumming highlights on Contra include the ska-inspired song "Holiday," and the hyperactive song "Cousins."

The most notable and unique track found on the album is the experimental "California English." The song makes use of echo, Auto-tuned vocals, synthesizers and layers upon layers of strings. All of these effects piece together to create a feeling of untamed electricity. Koenig uses this musical atmosphere to create a bizarre lyrical picture. He sings, "Sweet carob rice cake / She don't care how the sweets taste / Fake Philly cheese steak / But she use real toothpaste." As many times as I listen to Contra, I will probably never figure out what those lines actually mean. When I first heard rumors that Vampire Weekend was going to use Auto-tune, I was very hesitant to the idea. Auto-tune is software that uses pitch-correcting technology to hide vocal imperfections. Most people are familiar with Rap and Hip-Hop artists like T-Pain, Kanye West and Lil' Wayne, who use a highly stylized version of auto-tune in order to achieve a computerized or robotic effect. I cringed the thought of Ezra Koenig sounding like T-Pain.

On "California English", auto-tune is used sparingly and only highlights certain lyrics. The electronic effect on the vocals fits right in with the high-energy nature of the song. In doing so, Vampire Weekend adds a new chapter to the debate over auto-tune. Some say that using auto-tune is equivalent to using steroids in baseball. It replaces talent and hard work with a quick and easy short cut. Yet others, like Vampire Weekend, would argue that Auto-tune is becoming a style of its own. The combination of experimental instrumentation and innovative vocals makes "California English" a very addictive track. It is simply a weird song and that makes it fun.

Overall, Vampire Weekend's latest album, Contra, is a slight departure from the familiar sound introduced on their first album. By expanding their sound, the band shows healthy amounts of creative growth. A band that does not grow is a band that dies. No one wants to hear the same song over and over. But just because Vampire Weekend is evolving does not mean that it is no longer recognizable. Koenig is still writing quirky lyrics, Batmanglij is still arranging incredible string accompaniment, Chris Baio still provides the springy bass lines and Tomson still invents genius beats. My expectations were great for this highly anticipated album and Vampire Weekend delivered.