Label: Wichita
Release Date: 21/08/08
Rating:
That Bloc Party have a reputation as an intelligent band who make mindful music is neither a secret nor a surprise. Noel Gallagher sneeringly referred to them as "a band off University Challenge", and putting aside the contempt inherent in such a remark, the glint of truth in there can't be denied. Even now, they seem less like indie gods triumphant and more like geeks with guitars. But since when has having a brain been an impediment? Other 'intelligent' bands such as Muse are world-renowned for creating thrilling, progressive and ever-evolving sonic works of art, and Bloc Party are affected by the same boundary-pushing spirit and seek to prove their membership of the intellectual elite - their current proof being 'Intimacy'.
Even before listening to their third album, a glance at the track names reveals a certain running theme, with many names invoking the Gods and planets of classical mythology. Opener 'Ares' – the Greek god of savage warfare, identified with the planet Mars – is full of bloodlust and anarchy, a blistering cacophony of disembodied vocals, distorted guitar, and harsh, stark drums, singer Kele howling "War, war, war, war! I want to declare a war!" in voice that assaults you from the speakers, akin to being jumped on in a dark alley. The song title may name-check antiquity, but the content is thoroughly modern, outlining clearly the urban unrest of gun and knife crime in the UK, and sounding perfectly like the raw, wounding animal it is. Recent single 'Mercury' is cast in much the same mould, but contains an element of restraint. Co-producer Jacknife Lee carefully layers the sound; from the trumpet blasts in the verses, to the ominous synth waves that lap over the chorus, to the flourishes of arpeggio in the last minute, resulting in the most complete and accomplished song on the record. 'Halo' twitches with the excitement of infatuation that forms its subject matter "you fascinate and magnetize me/paralyse me with your kiss", and sounds awfully reminiscent of 'Helicopter'. Yet it's missing a certain je ne sais quoi, and has the feel of a song that never quite gets to where it's going.
Continuing with the Greek theme, 'Trojan Horse' demands attention from the outset with a guitar effect that buzzes menacingly like a swarm of threatening pestilential insects. Again, there is a sense that it's building up to a point it won't ever quite reach, but that doubt is obliterated when guitarist Russell unleashes a brilliant and unexpected solo in the last third of the song, which he also replicates at the end. Another notable moment, 'Signs', is a soft, undulating lullaby that makes pretty use of a glockenspiel, like watching stars twinkling in a velvety night sky. In contrast, 'One Month Off' speeds along at a merciless and manic rate, and could just as easily be found in Maximo Park's repertoire instead of here.
Elsewhere the album doesn't disappoint, and if any fault can be found it's that the guitar takes a back seat to all the electro and processed beats. Purists may cry out in protest at the band's experimental direction and long for the days of yore, but this is the sound of progress, and, as is well known, progress can't be halted. Bloc Party don't only make songs that sound like the topics they're dealing with, they possess that rare knack of taking on a new guise whilst still managing to sound like themselves.
Shefali Srivastava
Bloc Party Official Site
Bloc Party Myspace
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