Vampire Weekend : Contra
 

I really love this band's debut. So I was pretty dissapointed by how boring this album was. I really like 'Horchata' 'Taxi Cab' and 'Giving Up The Gun', but those are the only stand-out tracks. Overall I'd say 'Good', but I excpected a lot more.

I felt exactly the same my first listen. But now, to me, this album is a lot more sophisticated than their debut. It doesn't have the same hits, but after my 3rd listen straight through, I found that every track had an endearing quality to it. They have kept their quality sound and just changed their style. I love it.

This album was far less immediate than their debut, but I have grown to write it. The lyrics are atrocious though, bland, non-sensical...an irritant to an interesting mix of sounds.

I heard cousins and they could leave off the last two minutes of the song. However, I'd love to know where they found the cover art.

Couldn't have said it any better, voted the same as well.

one of my faves so far this year

I voted good. There's some really good songs on it and it's fairly consistent overall, but there's just that extra magic touch missing. I still have it on high rotation at the moment though, and i really love that album cover.

This about sums up my opinion. I still listen to their first one more though, and this one while I'm at work.

it's a really nice album but unfortunately not AS good as their self-titled

Same as above
 

I like this one but not as much as their debut. It's more like background music than something to focus on. I'm not writing the band off based on their sophomore release, though.

I personally don't think anything they create can ever top their amazing debut, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one, not as up-tempo as the first in many ways, and just like said above, it seemed to be missing something that kind of took away from my enjoyment of it.

I voted that this album was average. I was really hoping that they were going to go in the direction of Cousins, which was the first single, but they were seriously boring on this album.

I'd say this is average. I'm going to be hard on them because I loved their debut album so much (can you tell? haha)

"Giving Up the Gun" and "Run" are great. If the album album was of that quality, I would have been very happy. So much feels like filler though.

^you hath brought shame upon vampire weekend for spamming (apparently)

it's catchy, but when i hear it i feel like a morally decrepit piece of decaying flesh

I totally agree with this post. I also voted good. The album is catchy and I like a lot of the songs but I don´t think a year from now I will be super enthusiastic about it. Same thing with their debut album. For the time being though it is fun and happy music.

People have said it's fantastic-amazing. I think it could've been better. I like California English and Horchata, but they're the only two that stand out.

i love this album. it's definitely not as immediate and catchy as the first but it's gorgeous nonetheless (though i'm not crazy about 'horchata') and it really grew on me the more i listened to it. definitely a grower and more complex and sophisticated than their debut. i think the reason a lot of people were disappointed is because they went in a totally different direction while still retaining a lot of their influences and evolving as a band. i think a lot of people suspected vw would be a one hit wonder and to be honest until i hear 'contra' i sort of thought so too.

Complex and sophisticated? I must be missing something.

I voted "poor" and will be staying away from anything that reads "Vampire Weekend" in the foreseeable future.

on my first listen I definitely was not as impressed as I was with their debut. I'm definitely planning on giving it a few more, but I doubt it will have any affect on my opinion of it.

i don't think one slightly below par album should make you hate vampire weekend.

I didn't like the first one to begin with. I'm not hating on them or their followers, they just don't do anything for me.

After further listening, I actually dig this album now. The trick was to listen to the debut first, and then this one right after so I had some kind of a warm up to it. I still think it's fairly average but I definitely like a good amount of the songs and how they really used all types of sounds and instruments for this one.

I can't get enough of Horchata. I was in a clothing store when this song started playing, and the employee there had the audacity to change the song, audibly declaring that she "couldn't stand it". I left the store without buying anything ;)

I voted Average, Vampire Weekend had so much potential, and they sorta ruined it. It's a fun album but they haven't moved, they still remain the exact same sort of band. While the other big indie sophomore album of 2010, Congratulations by MGMT actually moved them in a new direction and showed a new side to them. Contra remains boring and uninspired.

I think people will appreicate this album more in the future

My favorite album of 2010, from what I've heard so far. I liked it much more than their debut, which gets a little annoying after the first few times. This one is less catchy, but I like it more and more every time I hear it. I adore 'Taxi Cab', 'Diplomat's Son' and 'I think Ur a Contra".

I love the way he sings the word Horchata.... I don't know, not as good as the debut, but still a solid romp!

even more hype for this one, even less interested in it than the debut

I actually went and picked up this album the week it came out. It was ok in my book, not nearly comparable to the first album though.

I think it's way better than their self titled.

I like the direction they've taken. I definitely think it's deeper than the first, which is why I like this one better. I think they toned down the oxford preppyness of the first album just the right amount.

i dont think this post is making me confident in buying this album

it sounds a bit too much like Paul Simon's Rhythm of the Saints, TBH, with electronics replacing the real percussion

and I don't really like vocalist's register shifts