Vampire Weekend were always going to have a particularly hard time with 'difficult second album syndrome'. A band with so few similar sounding contemporaries (Can you call Paul Simon a contemporary?) would be likely to feel far more pressure to deliver than one with countless imitators waiting on the sidelines to take up the mantle. Sure, a lot of people hated them, but there were enough fans to turn their self titled debut into one of the success stories of 2007 and leave folks wanting more.

So, two years on and following the now standard viral campaign, Contra drops on a semi-suspecting public to blow all the doubters away. Or not, as the case may be. In fact rather than the bombshell that they would have hoped for, this second set is more of a long drawn out hiss...That's not to say that it's a bad album, however, after winning millions of devoted followers with instant classics such as 'Oxford Comma', 'Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa' and 'A-Punk' that had the festival crowds of that heady (what does that even mean?) summer dancing in their wellies, they've delivered something more thoughtful, but considerably less instant.

Album opener 'Horchata' is the equivalent of the first album's 'Mansard Roof' in that it's a slow building introduction to what's to come. Then we're straight into familiar territory with 'White Skies', an early high point of the album and a good reason for anyone who dislikes them for their affinity with Graceland to switch off now; frontman Ezra Koenig's voice sounding more Paul Simon (although more confident) than ever before. 'Holiday' is as throwaway a track as there is on the album, and 'California English' sounds bizarrely like a VW take on one of the Stone Roses backwards songs, complete with African drums and Koenig's voice vocodered over the top. Another point to the haters then...

Just when it seems that the struggle for a follow up was too great, up comes the thoughtful 'Taxi Cab', an understated tune, allegedly influenced by the Velvet Underground that features a stunning piano refrain and uplifting string section that delivers the album to a whole new place. From then on, it keeps up a good pace with 'Run' offering a dancier vibe to anything from the first album (something that raises its head again later on the album on 'Giving Up The Gun'), whilst single 'Cousins' dishes up a spiky punk song with some frenetic drumming from Chris Tomson; and 'Diplomat's Son', clocking in at over 6 minutes long, bringing a slight electro feel to proceedings. 'I Think Ur A Contra' closes things out by appropriating a sound not a million miles away from Spiritualized, building nicely to a ramshackle crescendo...

So, maybe not the perfect comeback that many hoped for - in the end it's not similar enough to sate all the fans of the first album and not different enough to win new fans to the cause - but it's ultimately a rewarding album and one that definitely improves with each listen.