The 10 songs here don’t collectively match the near-perfection displayed on the band’s debut, but Contra is varied and vivacious enough to make each spin as revelatory as the first time you realized what the band was getting away with and how well it pulled off the feat.
Contra opener “Horchata” displays a caliber of pop songcraft and melodic intuition that gives The Shins’ James Mercer a run for his harmony, and the feathery lightness of lead singer Ezra Koenig’s voice allows him to indulge fluttering melodies that would sink under the weight of more overbearing pipes.
Those who are truly paying attention to the music will realize that Contra represents a band in complete control, a band that can avoid the sophomore slump by balancing the fine line between taking big risks and playing it safe, a band that, two full albums into its existence, has yet to release a song I do not like.
Release Date
January 8, 2010
