Then there are the lyrics. It's quite possible that your potential for enjoying Contra depends on how you feel about hearing Ezra Koenig sing the word "Aranciata." Those whose reactions are: (a) "What a bunch of elitist snobs"; or (b) "A raunchy what now?" should probably take a pass on this album of post-prep school pop. Then there are those who think: (c) "Hey, that's my favorite carbonated beverage" and "I find it funny that he rhymes 'Aranciata' with 'balaclava,' which I know to be military headgear dating back to the Crimean War." If you answered (c), welcome aboard!

Also, you should like Paul Simon's 1986 Afro-Western adult-pop masterpiece, Graceland. That album contains vast strands of Contra's musical DNA. Or maybe the sonic connection is a coincidence. At the very least, both Simon and Koenig are erudite New Yorkers who have referenced the same source material: West Africa highlife guitar, The Indestructible Beat of Soweto, Simon & Garfunkel. In any case, Vampire Weekend's latest is a perfect melding of contemporary North American pop and sunny, laid back world music.

Those longing for the friskier tempos of the debut will be heartened by "Cousins," a sweaty stomper propelled by a four-on-the-floor kick, rolling snare, and blistering guitar arpeggios. Although few other tracks are so clearly built for dancing, bass-driven "Giving Up the Gun" is warm and ebullient; the syncopated drums on "California English" will have your head bopping while violins dance and dive; and the bubbly percolations of "White Sky" is sure to have you swaying in your seat and tapping your toes. If sparking up a doobie is more to your liking, try the dubby chamber pop of "Taxi Cab" or airy closer "I Think UR a Contra." In other words, Contra plays like a great reggae record.

For a certain segment of the population, Vampire Weekend's wonderful second album offers an immensely enjoyable reprieve from the glut of "regular" indie pop and offers hope for the music of this new decade. So, put down the latest issue of McSweeney's, pause that NPR podcast, grab yourself an Aranciata, and drink in the tropical tones of Contra. Because, sometimes, even being an elitist snob should be effortlessly fun.

Recommended Tracks: "Giving Up the Gun," "Cousins," "Taxi Cab"

-Michael Keefe