Review of The Year

Just how good is Contra? The album of the year perhaps? It’s more of a challenge than its college-romp eponymous predecessor, with less preppy angst and more worldly depth.

The same guitar and vocal sounds bring the lyrics to life and Vampire Weekend have kept to their raison d’etre in a way to keep even Peter Gabriel happy.

It doesn’t take more than a few bars of Holiday to find your feet in their musical world. At 2 mins 18 secs it is worthy of The Beatles in its brilliant simplicity.

Diplomat’s Son is the opposite, a full exploration of the possibilities of a musical theme. I Think Ur A Contra closes the work with similar genius.