As I said in my “To Be Listened To” post, I’m going to try to review the new albums I listen to this year, but, I’m not going to lie, I’m not always going to feel compelled to do so. Today, I feel compelled to do so. This will not be a lengthy review, but, please, bear with me. Today we review Vampire Weekend’s sophomore attempt.
I really don't get their album covers.
I could pretty much sum up my entire review with one single statement: I couldn’t get past track three of the debut album. Considering I didn’t just listen to Contra in its entirety, but actually enjoyed it, there’s just a little bit of improvement going on here. Ok, not improvement, flat-out reversal. I don’t know that I could necessarily say what exactly it is I find so different between the two, except, well, I don’t find it grating. The first album, that was grating. My nerves, my ears, my sensibilities, all grated. Lyrically, this is not a great album, and the last two tracks are nothing to brag about, and “Cousins” was a terrible lead single, but the first six songs were just fantastic. “Run”, I believe, is the clear highlight, and hopefully will be a future single (though, honestly, what does a single matter anymore for a band like this in this day and age?).
Anyways, as I said, this was going to be a short review. I don’t have much else to say, but I do recommend you, dear reader, go out and get this album, even if you weren’t a fan of the debut.
Rating: 8.8/10
Travis weighs in: I’m pleasantly surprised they discovered their own sound was lame and decided to cop others’. Still one of the weaker albums I’ve heard this year. Rating: 5.5/10
EDIT TO ADD: I figured it would only be right of me to include the link where the album is streaming at, where I am now listening to it for a third time (It just keeps getting better, but the last two tracks are still pretty weak): Vampire Weekend – Contra
EDIT TO THE EDIT: The album is also on sale on Amazon.com for only $3.99. Guess what I just bou-ght *singsong*
An Ocean of Noise 
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