By Narayan Saimbi
Following the self-titled Vampire Weekend in ‘08, Contra is no stranger to the witty lyricism that made the band’s first album a cult classic amongst indie rock enthusiasts and a staple of the 2000s indie scene.
This album serves as a beautiful insight into lead singer Ezra Koenig’s struggles with being a frontrunner of a rock band whilst coming from a more affluent background. And it is, in my opinion, one of the best indie albums from the 2010s.
I don’t have nearly enough time to unpack all of the songs, but I’ll give you an insight into my top picks:
- Horchata
“In December, drinking horchata
I’d look psychotic in a balaclava”
The opening lyrics to ‘Horchata’ worm their way into your ears and stick with you throughout the entire rest of the album.
There have been many interpretations of this song’s meaning, but I see it as the story of two people who were once in a deep love. Over time, the novelty’s worn off, the love’s faded away and all that’s left is a deep-rooted bitterness.
Despite the upbeat tone and catchy motifs, ‘Horchata’ introduces Contra as a happy-go-lucky album on its surface, accompanied by an introspective and thought-provoking core. This theme of broken-down relationships serves as a recurring backdrop in Contra, with ‘Horchata’ serving to introduce it to the listeners.
- California English
“Blasted from a disconnected light switch
Through the condo that they’ll never finish
Bounced across a Saudi satellite dish
And through your brain to California English”
One of the more underrated songs in the album, ‘California English’ is Ezra’s self-proclaimed “love letter” to California.
Full of iconography synonymous with Los Angeles, Ezra both acknowledges his roots and initially sets out Contra’s message to his listeners; Vampire Weekend’s music is universal regardless of the background of its makers.
- Cousins
“Me and my cousins, and you and your cousins
It’s a line that is always running
Me and my cousins, and you and your cousins
I can feel it coming”
‘Cousins’ is one of the most successful singles from Contra, and is at the real heart of the album’s message. Ezra simply wants to try and make music, but feels knocked back by criticisms of his background coming into the reviews of the music itself.
Vampire Weekend is not for the preppy upper class, and this family-focused song is a purposeful reminder of that.
- Diplomat’s Son
“He was a diplomat’s son, it was ’81
He was a diplomat’s son, it was ’81, oh-oh, oh-oh”
‘Diplomat’s Son’ is both one of my favourite tracks from this album and one that confuses me the most with its meaning.
The song derives from a short story Ezra wrote, with the song’s co-writer Rostam Batmanglij calling it a “love story”. However, the “diplomat’s son” could also refer to the lead singer of the Clash, Joe Strummer. Strummer was the son of a diplomat who put on a working-class accent in his music, despite coming from a wealthy background.
This contributes to Contra’s overall message, with the Clash’s album Sandinista deeply contrasting the Vampire Weekend album. Both album titles were inspired by the Nicaraguan revolution, concerning the Sandinista and the Contra groups that were at odds with each other; the Contras were counter-revolutionaries against the USA-resistant Sandinistas. Yet Vampire Weekend have not adopted that same revolutionary vigour in their album as The Clash did. Contra is Ezra’s defence against the stigma of affluence within rock music, despite some of the top bands coming from that background. Vampire Weekend don’t need to falsify working class roots to have their discography stand out. And they should not be criticised for staying true to themselves either.
- I Think Ur a Contra
“I think you’re a contra
I think that you’ve lied
Don’t call me a contra
Till you’ve tried”
The final track of the album sends Ezra’s message right home. Featuring tongue-in-cheek lyrics about “complete control” (almost certainly a nod to The Clash single of the same name) as well as more introspective lyrics that look deep in Ezra’s thought process, ‘I Think Ur a Contra’ is the perfect end to a nigh-perfect album. In a song about a failed relationship and differences between partners, Ezra shines the final light into his thoughts, namely his juxtaposition as a rock star whilst coming from “good schools” and “friends with pools”. The upper middle class roots of Vampire Weekend are at the very heart of Contra and the questioning of their place within the rock sphere of the music industry.
So, there you are. My two cents on Contra, 15 years after its release. Vampire Weekend have released a plethora of projects since this, most notably Father of the Bride and the recent Only God was Above Us. But Contra stands out first and foremost out of their entire 18 year discography. Ezra’s emphasis on the universality of Vampire Weekend’s music has stood the test of time, with their music spanning both millennial and Gen Z listeners. A fantastic album, and one I would highly recommend coming back to once more.
Surround Sound 