NEW LP
New sealed copy. 2015 reissue.
Contra is the second studio album by the American indie pop band Vampire Weekend, produced by band member Rostam Batmanglij and released in January 2010 on XL Recordings.
In addition to their established blend of African music influences with indie rock, the album draws from genres such as ska, dancehall, and dance music. It also draws incorporates the electro-pop and AutoTune found on Batmanglij's Discovery side-project. The album has been characterized as pop, "eclectic, intellectual indie rock," and "diffident haute bourgeoisie synth pop." The band made an effort to make their second album a natural expansion on the universe created in their debut album; as a result, Contra covers a far greater gamut of musical influences than their debut album, drawing inspiration from genres such as ska on "Holiday", synth-pop on "Giving Up the Gun", speed rap on "California English" and even rave music on "Run".
Contra received acclaim from music critics. Dave Simpson of The Guardian stated that Contra "will probably be among this year's most played and most joyful tunes." Spin's Jon Dolan wrote that "the balance of classical, rock, and world instrumentation, cagey rhythms, and stunning prettiness isn't just architecturally resplendent, it's reassuringly sweet and strangely moving." Paul Stokes of NME described Vampire Weekend as "one of the most unique bands on the planet."
TRACKLIST:
A1 Horchata
A2 White Sky
A3 Holiday
A4 California English
A5 Taxi Cab
A6 Run
B1 Cousins
B2 Giving Up The Gun
B3 Diplomat's Son
B4 I Think Ur A Contra
