11/1/10
Vampire Weekend - ‘Contra’
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The world-music lovers return with their second record.
Vampire Weekend has carved out a healthy niche for them in the music world – winning all sorts of acclaim with their debut self-titled release in 2008. Back
with album#2, don’t expect the tables to turn too much.
Opener, ‘Horchata’ is a typically-powerfully-backed effort with an African tribal theme
predominant. Lead singer, Ezra Koenig is on his usual soft vocals, transcending
into a powerhouse.
Second effort, ‘White Sky’ adds a retro keyboard backing and is generally much better than its predecessor.
Whether Rostam Batmanglij’s timely backings elevate it to that superior status will soon become clear once
you hear it. This just has more musical substance about it.
‘Holiday’ is thrown in as somewhat of a happy-go-lucky sprinkle. Sadly it’s not really catchy enough to serve as anything more than a quirky anecdote. ‘California English’ certainly has more promise
in terms of composition. One thing Vampire Weekend do have going for them is the
unique style; what they don’t seem to have is any real song-writing ability. Spontaneity only works when it’s unquestionably brilliant.
The unpredictability continues with the progressive musings of ‘Taxi Cab’. Its simplicity is undoubtedly its strength, but yet it just doesn’t feel right. On the other end of the scale, ‘Run’ is packed with elaborate production, yet again, doesn’t go anywhere that could be identified as being musically significant.
Opening single, ‘Cousins’ is a lively, fast-paced assault. Koenig’s strained vocals almost cross over into Caleb Folowill territory (Kings of Leon) as they croak amongst the booming drums. Still, when it’s over, you are just left wondering what all that manic fuss achieved.
It’s ironic that the band is considered as alternative, and indeed they are, but in
the very traditional (and original) definition of the genre for something that wasn’t like anything else. In the modern sense, Vampire Weekend are about as
alternative as mass media. ‘Giving up the Gun’ almost sounds like it will fit into the alternative box, before it gets lost in
a labyrinth of edgy sounds. Still it’s one of the better efforts here.
The electro backing and African influence return on ‘Diplomat’s Son’. All the usual VW trademarks are thrown in here as well as the song gradually
rambles its way through every painstaking minute. I just can’t find any real superlatives to credit it with, so let’s just leave it at that.
Lighters are sure to come out when played live for the atmospheric closer, ‘I Think Ur a Contra’. Koenig softly whispers the title repeatedly before ambience echoes in. Again,
probably one of the better efforts here, but that’s not a particularly difficult task.
Key Tracks:
‘White Sky’
Worst Tracks:
‘Cousins’
‘I Think Ur a Contra’
‘Diplomat’s Son’
Verdict
Call me overly-Westernized, call me ignorant, but I have listened to a wealth of
different genres and I just don’t get Vampire Weekend. Music is intended to connect and reach out, and this
album fills me with all the warmth of a fridge freezer. Bizarre ramblings and
alibis of uniqueness cloud what is a highly unlistenable piece. 2/10 CM
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Dance, Trance and Headaches
Manchester’s newest pretenders to the New Order throne release their debut disc.
Delphic won’t be known as much as they will after their music has been picked up by the
mainstream, though some may know them from their contribution to the latest Pro
Evolution Soccer soundtrack.
Opening track, ‘Clarion Call’ is a true statement of intent. Fusing the kaleidoscopic workings of Peter Hook’s legendary predecessors with some modern new-wave thinking, there’s something ghostly reminiscent of this. It really is pure electronic poetry in
motion and a stormer of an opener.
First single, ‘Doubt’ (which could well have been a New Order title)
allows frontman, Richard Boardman off the leash with some fade-out style vocals,
much in the style of Ian Brown and a northern-influenced accent. It’s not a bad track, but it just doesn’t have the verve of what came before, despite some nice melodic work.
‘This Momentary’ mixes a bit more out-there electronic soundage in a puzzle of a tune. It has the
makings of a decent club tune and you can imagine the likes of Jason Nevins
salivating at getting his grubby paws on the master copy. Almost tribal at times, there’s no doubt it is a grower.
If you found that confusing, the synthesized musings of ‘Red Lights’ will blow your mind. Mixing a variety of electronic sweetness into a complex
melody, it works, but is slowly turning the band into something almost like a
dance outfit. The epic 8 minute title-track does its best to promote that stereotype though.
Slow and haunting wails reminiscent of The Verve suddenly explode into an
atmospheric master-class and back again.
The beautifully-titled, ‘Halcyon’ does its best to transform the group into a trendy indie-rock band, which they
don’t really need to do and as it happens, the track is an unexpected weak point.
The authentic ‘popcorn’ sounds of ‘Submission’ soon brings things back into order. Intelligent and mature lyrics mix with
subtle backing to create a pleasing tune which helps to tick more boxes.
The Pro Evo-featuring, ‘Counterpoint’ is as much a highpoint as you could wish for. Euphoric and mesmerizing synths
mix effortlessly with Boardman’s vocals to create a beautiful blend. ‘Ephemera’ acts as a whispery prologue to the grand finale of ‘Remain’. There’s a lot of build-up, a fair deal of emotive delivery and a fairly pleasing vocal
harmonisation, but as the lyrics quite aptly put it, “waiting for something better” and surprisingly, it never comes.
Key Tracks:
‘Counterpoint’
‘Clarion Call’
‘Doubt’
‘This Momentary’
‘Red Lights’
‘Acolyte’
‘Submission’
Worst Tracks:
‘Halcyon’
Verdict
In general there is a lot to love about Delphic and they appear to have a lot to
offer. If you can get their old-school style of instrumentals, then you may
very well find yourself warming to them as much as I have. Whether this is the
next level of the 80s revival machine, I doubt very much, but what can be taken
is that a band can come from nowhere and fit right into a void long left vacant
by the 24 Hour Party People of New Order. 8/10 CM
(c) ChrisOnline.biz 2009
