"Vampire Weekend" by Vampire Weekend (XL Recordings) - Out now

A few songs into Vampire Weekend's debut album, the New York rockers take a sharp left turn, ending up somewhere in Africa.

Veering into Paul Simon-sounding Africanized pop seems a bit drastic at first, until you give the entire album a few listens. Do so, and you'll see the hints were there all along. A drum beat here, a call-and-answere there.

While the Simon influence is obvious from listening to "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa," it's Peter Gabriel who gets a name drop in the song's chorus.

The opener "Mansard Roof" builds up from a bit of staccato keyboard to a full-on fiesta. From there, the party never really stops.

Along the way, singer Ezra Koenig paints vivid images of life in twenty-something New York City, accompanied with bright, whimsical music.

The brilliant, addictive "Oxford Comma" is so upbeat, it's kind of easy to overlook the anger seething to the surface, like seeing the smile but ignoring the gritted teeth. And that's the way it is throughout, exceptionally well-layered music and harmonies masking the sometimes somber, sometimes bitter lyrics.

But it's not all like that. "I Stand Corrected" sounds like a Cure outtake and strikes a conliatory tone. "Walcott" mixes in a bit of wistfulness with the bitterness.

It's all a bit too much to take in at first, but "Vampire Weekend" gets better with each listen and each little trip to Africa.

Download this song now: "Oxford Comma"