It seems like it would probably enhance the music reviews I’ve written if you could hear what the band sounds like. I’ve retroactively added these to the posts they belong to, but here’s a sample track (via LaLa) of the last albums I’ve reviewed:
Posts Tagged ‘Vampire Weekend’
Contra
14
Feb
Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut exploded on the blogosphere two years ago, with critics either finding its afro-pop meets indie-rock aesthetic amazing or horrible. Two years later, their sophomore album, Contra, should hopefully turn those who weren’t as keen on the first album around to the band’s sound.
The album shows a clear progression from the first album; while the guitar tone and rhythms that defined the band’s first-album sound are still present on the songs (“Cousins” and “Holiday” could easily fit onto the group’s debut), more synth-based rhythms are also present. The group even manages to make Autotune (an overused element in 2009) sound fresh on “California English”.
The group’s experimentation with new sounds doesn’t always pay off—while the electropop influences on “Giving Up the Gun” make the song even better, the muddled, overlayered strings of “I Think UR a Contra” detract from the song’s reflective lyrics. Overall, Contra retains many of the elements that made Vampire Weekend’s first album so unique, it shows a growth and willingness to experiment that indicates a band that has the potential to produce interesting music for years to come. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Rating: 
