Vampire Weekend - Contra

Heisenberg.

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lordgoat

Didn't think much of their first album, reminded me of the kooks with thier power to annoy. From reviews this seems more of the same. Not for me.

Aridstarling

Kind of the same as the first one for me, kind of modulates between headwreckingly annoying and wallpaper. Horchata is a good song though, the rest I could take or leave. Except for Cousins, that I would definitely leave.

quarryman

lordgoat wrote: »

Didn't think much of their first album, reminded me of the kooks with thier power to annoy. From reviews this seems more of the same. Not for me.

Surprised at that Tommy. I'm a big fan of the first album. I give it a playthrough every month or two and still think its sounds great. Great hooks and very very catchey.

The Kooks on the other hand...

lordgoat

quarryman wrote: »

Surprised at that Tommy. I'm a big fan of the first album. I give it a playthrough every month or two and still think its sounds great. Great hooks and very very catchey.

The Kooks on the other hand...

Nope, can't handle it at all, i just find them irritating, i'm not comparing them to the kooks in a music way, just on their ability to grate on me! Think the lead single cousins is atrocious.

Placid_Casual

lordgoat wrote: »

Didn't think much of their first album, reminded me of the kooks with thier power to annoy. From reviews this seems more of the same. Not for me.

No, no, NO! Just no. They've way more going on than The Kooks, I don't see that comparison for one moment. The Kooks are insipid indie-schmindie. Vampire Weekend are a vibrant, clever, inventive band.

Anyway, i'm liking the new album. Like other posters said, its not going to win new converts but if you liked the first album you'll like this. I did and I do.
Its a bit more stripped down, less guitars, less strings. Also, there's no obvious ultra-catchy singles like Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa or Oxford Comma, not that that's necessarily a criticism. The last two tracks, Diplomat's Son and I Think Ur A Contra are probably my favourites.
In fact, how anybody wouldn't like I Think Ur A Contra, I could not fathom. Even allowing for its awful use of txtspk!

youcancallmeal

It was all going so well until track 4 'California English'. Why oh why must singers use that horrible vocoder affect for their voices, it sounds terrible when rappers do it but when indie bands do it I just get angry :mad:

Xavi6

As bad as the first one, if not worse, imo.

heebusjeebus

I'm liking it. Gets better towards the end. Giving Up the Gun and Diplomats Son are great songs.

catch--22

You can listen to the whole album here streaming.

homerun_homer

Scien wrote: »

A little annoyed that they've bypassed Ireland on their tour though, having chosen to play 13 gigs in the UK instead. Maybe we'll see them in Oxegen or EP this Summer.

I'm annoyed too, mostly because Fan Death are supporting them and I'd love to see them live. Last time I saw VW I felt cheated out of money for how short the set was, for a set as short as the album they needed to charge less.

For those still going on about streaming the album, anyone figure out yet that when you listen to it on the official band website that all the tracks magically appear in your internet temp files. And the music industry wonders why they lose money eh... and blame everyone/everything else.

mosstin

I say good on 'em. The thing I like about the band is that they took a lot of flak for both their look and their sound on the first album, so in response, they've changed neither. 'Contra' is a decent record - as was the first - with some great tunes, particularly the slower ones.

Heisenberg.

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Xavi6

Lol I dislike them because they are good? Review fails at logic.

Fajitas!

Loved the first album to be quite honest.

The second one took a few listenings, but I do like it.

Heisenberg.

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Xavi6

Scien wrote: »

You strike me as the kind that no longer like bands because they've 'gone too commerical'.

I'm not sure what you're basing that on. Muse are still my favourite band despite their recent commercial success and I love the latest Biffy Clyro album even though it's a bit more mainstream than usual. I've countless other examples to the counter your assumption but I won't get into it.

In any case, we get it. You don't like them

I didn't like Vampire Weekend from the get go, but I gave the second album a shot and it wasn't up to much at all. Didn't realise negative opinions weren't as valid as positive ones.

slipss

I liked it, but I loved the first album, and this is more of the same, lyrically it's not Dylan and musically it's not Muse, but it works. Catchy, up beat, original, indie pop. Like other people said, if you hated the first album you'll despise this, if you liked the first album, chances are you'll like this. For me, Giving Up The Gun is the clear stand out song. Haven't been able to get that chorus out of my head since I heard it. I love the african vibes and synth strings imbedded in all their stuff, can't get enough of the catchy hooks and the lyrics are clever and throw away. You either love them or hate them in a way I can't remember people feeling about a band in years and years. Can't wait for thier next album, but just hope they experiment with their sound a bit more next time round. It's worked twice, next time they need to mix it up a bit or it'll definately get tiresome.

lordgoat

Xavi6 wrote: »

I'm not sure what you're basing that on. Muse are still my favourite band despite their recent commercial success and I love the latest Biffy Clyro album even though it's a bit more mainstream than usual. I've countless other examples to the counter your assumption but I won't get into it.



I didn't like Vampire Weekend from the get go, but I gave the second album a shot and it wasn't up to much at all. Didn't realise negative opinions weren't as valid as positive ones.

+1


Exactly the same as this. Listened to this album during the week, one of my friends had it blaring most days. Did nothing for me. To me there's no substance to it. If i want to listen to pop, lady gaga's miles better!

I also agree about the review above it makes very little sense. Kind of smacks as smart assed / half assed lazy journalism.

Placid_Casual

slipss wrote: »

I liked it, but I loved the first album, and this is more of the same, lyrically it's not Dylan and musically it's not Muse, but it works. Catchy, up beat, original, indie pop. Like other people said, if you hated the first album you'll despise this, if you liked the first album, chances are you'll like this. For me, Giving Up The Gun is the clear stand out song. Haven't been able to get that chorus out of my head since I heard it. I love the african vibes and synth strings imbedded in all their stuff, can't get enough of the catchy hooks and the lyrics are clever and throw away. You either love them or hate them in a way I can't remember people feeling about a band in years and years. Can't wait for thier next album, but just hope they experiment with their sound a bit more next time round. It's worked twice, next time they need to mix it up a bit or it'll definately get tiresome.

A good thing to my mind. And this thread is about nothing, if not personal opinion

lordgoat wrote: »

+1


Exactly the same as this. Listened to this album during the week, one of my friends had it blaring most days. Did nothing for me. To me there's no substance to it. If i want to listen to pop, lady gaga's miles better!

I also agree about the review above it makes very little sense. Kind of smacks as smart assed / half assed lazy journalism.

Criticising a band because they're "pop" is just lame. I mean, The Beatles were a pop band! And VW are as different from Lady Gaga as they are from Muse (for example). Who's the say Muse aren't as "pop" - they're probably more popular in this part of the world (VW would never sell out the O2) and isn't that where the term pop comes from? It does nothing for you, that's fine, but that's a pretty weak line of argument.

lordgoat

Placid_Casual wrote: »

A good thing to my mind. And this thread is about nothing, if not personal opinion



Criticising a band because they're "pop" is just lame. I mean, The Beatles were a pop band! And VW are as different from Lady Gaga as they are from Muse (for example). Who's the say Muse aren't as "pop" - they're probably more popular in this part of the world (VW would never sell out the O2) and isn't that where the term pop comes from? It does nothing for you, that's fine, but that's a pretty weak line of argument.

Where did i criticise them for being pop? Where did i criticise pop? I compared them to lady gaga by saying if i wanted to listen to a pop band i'd choose her. I've actually stuck up for it a valid genre on boards more often than not. I criticise them for, imo, being lyrically poor and repetitive. I don't like the african twang to their music i see it as gimmicky.

And how is saying a band does nothing for me a weak line of argument? I listen to them they irritate and wash over me leaving me completely overwhelmed by blandness. Summarised by they do nothing for me.

I've largely kept out of this thread as i don't like the band and don't see the need to say anything more than that.

Placid_Casual

lordgoat wrote: »

Where did i criticise them for being pop? Where did i criticise pop? I compared them to lady gaga by saying if i wanted to listen to a pop band i'd choose her. I've actually stuck up for it a valid genre on boards more often than not. I criticise them for, imo, being lyrically poor and repetitive. I don't like the african twang to their music i see it as gimmicky.

And how is saying a band does nothing for me a weak line of argument? I listen to them they irritate and wash over me leaving me completely overwhelmed by blandness. Summarised by they do nothing for me.

I've largely kept out of this thread as i don't like the band and don't see the need to say anything more than that.

Fair enough, I interpreted your post as being a criticism of Vampire Weekend for their perceived "popness". I countered this with an argument about what can actually be construed as "pop".
And I didn't mean that the band doing nothing for you was a weak line of argument. I meant criticising them for being a "pop" band (as I interpreted your previous post) was.
I misinterpreted your post. Then you misinterpreted mine. Don't you love the internet!

Bottom line is you don't like the band. I do. And like you, I don't see the need to say anything more than that.

lordgoat

Placid_Casual wrote: »

Fair enough, I interpreted your post as being a criticism of Vampire Weekend for their perceived "popness". I countered this with an argument about what can actually be construed as "pop".
And I didn't mean that the band doing nothing for you was a weak line of argument. I meant criticising them for being a "pop" band (as I interpreted your previous post) was.
I misinterpreted your post. Then you misinterpreted mine. Don't you love the internet!

Bottom line is you don't like the band. I do. And like you, I don't see the need to say anything more than that.

Hugs all round then!

Sam Hain

Vampire Weekend, how annoying can a band get, with a second attempt at frat boys doing Paul Simons Graceland for the aurally challenged

Monkey61

I really, really wanted to like this....but I just don't. Maybe it's a massive grower but I've listened to it about 6 times since yesterday and it's just doing nothing for me.

I adore the first album. Loved every song on first listen and still think it's an almost perfect pop album - but this one is just boring...

Bah..stupid second album syndrome.