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Contra By Jeremy Grand The self-titled debut from New York indie rockers(?) Vampire Weekend was a hard act to follow. Critically acclaimed and successful, it made nearly every list of the best albums of 2008. The sophomore album Contra, however, picks up where Vampire Weekend left off, and is likely to make all of the 2010 lists. The question mark after rockers is for the straight fact that this band falls into a nearly impossible category. Their unique sound makes them a cut above and a cut apart from the rest of the indie music community. It’s a composure of many genres, bending and mixing rock with African beats with an indie mentality, with a dash of rich kid brattiness thrown into the pool. For lovers of the debut album, think of this as a most excellent extension, which more often than not becomes a hard feat to flourish. Contra brings back that fantasy land vacationeer attitude, that New England mindset, and that off the beaten path list of vocabulary words (who ever heard of Horchata anyway?). But even if you can’t figure out what these things are, or have trouble with a search engine to find them out, the spirit is there to help you on your educational way. Contra’s feel good approach is evident from the first track Horchata, to the aptly titled Holiday, to White Sky and Cousins, almost always creating a sing-a-long and whistle effect every time they play. Even the more downbeat tracks like Contra and Taxi Cab have a positive allure without being boring or depressing. Contra is sure to make these cold winter months seem just a bit warmer, and once the summer does finally rear its welcome face, his musical compliment will be waiting in the CD player. 
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