CD reviews

CONTRA
If you don't know who Vampire Weekend is, how they got the name, or why the fuss about their sophomore album exists, the first thing you ought to do is get your hands on their eponymous debut. If, however, laziness stands in the way of your being familiar with their Indie Afro-pop sound, that still shouldn't stop you from picking up Contra.
The surprising thing about this band's music is how it appeals to not just those who like infectious pop, but also to those with a taste for all kinds of African rhythms.
A mix like that should be a mess, but these guys pull it off with a smirk. They even incorporate reggaeton from Puerto Rico, a bit of ska (Diplomat's Son), some marimbas (Horchata), and more than a couple of violins (California English). And, through it all, Ezra Koenig proves again why he is that rare beastu00a0-- a rocker with an IQ above 30. Consider this: Many of VW's music influences had begun to wane by the time the band members hit puberty. It makes their unique mix-and-match style all the more impressiveu00a0-- a contemporary montage of sounds and rhythms, both organic and inorganic. It is sometimes reminiscent of Beck's genre-bending Odelay, only catchier. You can like their sound or despise it, but a straight pop record doesn't seem forthcoming from their studios in the foreseeable future. The closing track, I Think Ur a Contra, is the final surprise. After the barrage of sound and verse, it's almost shockingly calm. Given how hard they've tried, it's the least you can do. Contra, Vampire Weekend, Virgin Records, Rs 395. Available at leading music stores.

UB40
Back in 1983, when this sort of thing was cool, reggae band UB40 embarked on a mission to cover Jamaican classics.
It was an unusual decision, considering the group had been around for just 5 years, and covers were what bands did towards the fag end of their careers. The decision paid off though.
Called Labour of Love, the album made them world-famous, thanks to a cover of Neil Diamond's Red, Red Wine. 27 years later, the idea has lost its shine. Labour of Love IV has nothing out of the ordinary, and sounds like Reggae on auto-pilot. Sure, Smokey Robinson's Tracks Of My Tears is nice, just not nice enough.
UB40, Labour of Love IV, Virgin Records, Rs 350. Available at leading music stores.


STITCHED
"We don't conform to any genre," says Abhishek Shah, lead guitarist and one of four vocalists for The Echoes. "No two songs on our debut album sound the same," he continues, "so what we offer listeners is diversity." That tall claim isn't really backed by the album in question, called Stitched. The title comes from what the band describes as a 'sewing movement that binds together each moment.' In other words, they probably just liked the word. There are some great hooks, and while a couple of tracks have the potential to make an evening at some awful bar more bearable, that bit about diversity doesn't really jump out at you. In all fairness, keeping in mind that The Echoes describe themselves a jam band, they may sound fabulous on stageu00a0-- a sound not all musicians can replicate in studio conditions. "We saw a few great Indian musicians like Ravi Iyer, Warren Mendonca, Mahesh Tinaikar and Gino Banks do brilliant impromptu work," says Abhishek, "and we wanted to do something like that." In that spirit comes the title track, which is also the album opener. Stitched is chilled out, reminiscent of Phish's Bouncing Round the Room, and very easy to like. The lyrics of the second track, Insomnia are a let down, but Hold On pulls things back on track with its uncomplicated groove and great vocals. Warcry is amateurish, Nothing Man starts off well before meandering into well-charted territory, and Unite tries hard to be anthemic while failing to take off. Free, with its steady backbeat, is a nice closer. What we have, then, is a nice start and finish, but not a whole lot of surprises in between. Aidan Lewis, Soumitra Bhat, Shawn Pereira, Ishaan Krishna, Saakshi Vyas and Abhishek Shah will have to try a little harder in Round Two.
Stitched, The Echoes, EMI, Rs 195. Available at leading music stores.