Photo by:

Vampire Weekend’s sophomore effort, Contra, showcases the evolution of an indie rock subgenre that the band created just two years ago.

Most of the elements of its debut album, the extensive lyrical vocabulary, the rhythmic guitar playing and the uplifting percussion are present on Contra. In fact, the new album so greatly parallels the band’s first album that listeners may wonder if these are 10 new songs or merely leftovers from the band’s 2008 eponymous debut?

The lead single, “Cousins,” has enough energy in its guitar licks and snare drum rolls to anchor the album’s sales campaign, but so did “A-Punk” from their first album, Vampire Weekend, when the band again got everything right.

Yet, like other tracks on Contra, “Cousins” takes “A-Punk” one step further, highlighting the band’s evolution into what could prove to become mainstream rock, just as Kings of Leon did in 2009.

“Horchata” sounds uniquely a Vampire Weekend track, like that well-crafted worldly song you heard on vacation that lingers in your mind as you return home, as the party ends and the guests check out of the hotel.

Just as you think Contra has peaked, the standout “Taxi Cab” comes on.

“Taxi Cab” shines with the inclusion of piano, shying it away from the sound Vampire Weekend so regularly delivered on its debut.

On an album that has the potency to launch Vampire Weekend into the mainstream, it is not surprising that “Diplomat’s Son” serves as a turning point into the band’s potential radio launch. Sampling “Hussel” by M.I.A., the borrowed vocal hook elevates “Diplomat’s Son” from near-ballad to cultural chant. If only every song on the album were memorable.

Contra will be released everywhere today.