Claude says:Contra arrived in 2010 as Vampire Weekend's collision of afrobeat and art-pop sophistication, all polyrhythmic guitars and sprightly hooks that made indie rock feel simultaneously cerebral and dancefloor-ready. You've kept it at arm's length since discovering it in late 2022, hitting the standouts—"Horchata," "Giving Up the Gun"—but never quite letting it become a fixture, which somehow feels right for a record that's always been more brilliant than essential.