Vampire Weekend drop 'Horchata'

Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair in 2008. (Credit: Chris M. Junior)

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If you're anything like me, you've probably come close to wearing out your copy of Vampire Weekend's 2008 self-titled debut. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the band's combination of "Graceland"-era Paul Simon and New York indie rock worked like gangbusters.

For those of us no longer content with the 11 tracks contained on the band's debut, this week brought a little light on the horizon in the form of "Horchata." Currently streaming and available for free download on the band's Web site, the track is off of the band's upcoming sophomore LP, "Contra," which is set to be released on Jan. 12, 2010 in the U.S., one day after it hits shelves in the U.K.

So, how is the song? Basically, it sounds like Vampire Weekend, only bigger. The sweetly melodic vocals from lead singer and New Jersey native Ezra Koenig and the Afro-pop-influenced polyrhythms remain intact, and they're joined on the three-and-a-half-minute track by a choir of multi-tracked backing vocals, marimba and a string section.

And while it is easier to groove to Vampire Weekend's bouncy sounds in warmer months, the lyrics of "Horchata" come tailored for the days of coats and mittens, with lines such as "winter's cold is 2 much 2 handle" (as written in the lyrics sheet accompanying the song download) and the opening lyric of "In December, drinking Horchata, I'd look psychotic in a balaclava." (Horchata, by the way, is a milky traditional beverage popular in Latin America, while balaclava is a type of head-covering also known as a ski mask.)

All in all, it's a cool, concise and fun track that seems to expand on a lot of what folks liked about Vampire Weekend the first time around. Consider the level of my anticipation for "Contra" raised.