Music Review: Vampire Weekend: Contra (XL Recordings, CD)

Imagine if Coldplay decided Paul Simon's “Graceland” was the greatest album ever made and that their music should be non-stop homages to it. That, in a nutshell, is what you can expect from Vampire Weekend's new release, “Contra”. African rhythms permeate throughout, and it gets a little old by the CD's end. Vampire Weekend has songwriting chops—“Giving Up the Gun” and “California English” offer clever melodies and wordplay—and singer Ezra Koenig has a pleasant voice not unlike that of … Paul Simon! Production by keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij is clear and spacious, but the gimmick may wear thin after one listen.