Review:

on 2011-02-22 CharlesMartel Said:

Lets get one thing out-of-the-way first. For those who don't live in the UK, there is a median between mainstream and indie, if you can categorise music into those terms. Mainstream is basically what you hear on Radio 1, Capitol FM, Magic or Heart FM every bloody day of the year. Indie is what never gets anywhere near a radio station in this country. In between sit Acts-That-Are-Rated-As-The-Next-Best-Thing-By-NME.

Usually, ATARATNBTBNME are either fetishes which NME has developed (Coldplay, Babyshambles being typical) or up and coming bands which some hack at the paper has decided he will push so that he can seem cool. If this sounds a little disparaging, well you are right. ATARATNBTBNME are not usually to my taste. But of all the ATARATNBTBNME in 2005, Bloc Party were the best of the pack. The question is, what makes them different?

A good few listens to "Silent Alarm" will quickly show what gives Bloc Party something of an edge over their contemporaries and co-conspirators. For a start, the vocals are not the usual bland, anodyne delivery of lines which you get from listening to Franz Ferdinand, Snow Patrol and others of their ilk. That is mainly due to vocalist Kele Okereke having a unique sounding voice - even when he speaks it is distinctive, with a slight lisp vaguely detectable. Second is the drumming. Now a lot of bands have a good (by which I mean competent) drummer backing them up, and come across as a taut and well organised outfit as a consequence. Somehow, Matt Tong manages that, but is able to throw in a whole series of shifts and turns in his drumming which, on first hearing, may disorient you somewhat. But gradually you realise that this is not the sound of someone struggling to maintain control of his rhythm but, quite the opposite, someone who is total control of what he is doing.

The result is an ability for the band to move effortlessly between different underlying stylistic themes, without ever neglecting the essence of what they are. Bloc Party are, on this album, a solid post punk revival outfit, better than most who have trodden that path (and in that I will include Interpol and Editors). However, they are never shackled by the tag and are able to move effortlessly between different nuances (word of the week) to create a sound which is their own.

In that sense they can be said to be among the leading edge of the current London Wave and reflect all the contradictions inherent therein. For a start, they are not afraid to be upfront with some anger - "Positive Tension" being the prime example. Then, not long after, they can come along with a sweet sound in "This Modern Love". Stylistically, this is evident when one puts the dance-punk energy of "Eating Glass" beside tracks like "Plans" which seems to belong in another era altogether. However, most of the time they adopt the time-honoured posture of the Brit Kid - be he a star of the British invasion of the sixties, a sneering punk of the seventies, or the cocky git who's asking for his face to be slapped from the era of Britpop. It is a pose we British do better than anyone else, but never forget - it is so often just a pose. When Bloc Party try a real political statement - "The Price of Gasoline" - it falls flat.

And therein lies the ultimate flaw with Bloc Party's first album. Deep down you get the feeling that this is all just a pose. Banquet might typify the aforementioned Brit-Kid. "Luno" might up the ante a little, but at the end Bloc Party are ultimately about the mainstream. For indeed, the mainstream is where they want to be. Like generations of British bands before them from the Beatles to Oasis, they want to cross the Atlantic and make it big in the States. Note, in the aforementioned track they use the word gasoline. That word is not commonly used in the UK where the preferred noun is petrol. Why use an Americanism unless you want to appeal to Americans?

Of course, there are dangers with adopting the Brit-Kid pose and Bloc Party are well aware of them. Having seen the example of Oasis (whose Brit Kid attitude was entirely genuine, if not exactly likeable) and found that up-front, in-your face brashness can be off putting to the typical mid-America reared on Sunday school and overt politeness, Bloc Party don't want to go too far. "Luno" is as far as they will go, and that teeters on the brink, but never falls over.

In essence, Bloc Party's first album is a pitch for the mainstream. Not in the same, shameless way as Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs and Snow Patrol who have made a successful pitch to be invited to join it. No Bloc Party want the mainstream to come to them. They want to extend its boundaries so it includes them, rather than shift their style to be included within it. For that they are to be commended. For that, this album is worth listening to.
Rating: 7/10

Review:

on 2008-05-20 psychoticbarber Said:

Sadly, Bloc Party will never get another chance at a first full-length album. The band consists of Kele Okereke (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar), Russel Lissack (Lead Guitar), Gordon Moakes (Bass), and Matt Tong (Drums). The band's sound can only be described as recycled post-punk, and this recycling is not going to help prevent global warming.

In the positive, I have to disagree with the esteemed reviewer when he says, "[T]he band is at their absolute worst when they try to slow down the tempo and write atmospheric ballads such as on 'Blue Light' and 'So Here We Are.'" I found "Blue Light" to be one of the most interesting songs on the album, with the drums making sounds other than the droning "thump thump thump" found on the rest of the album. Well, I suppose the reviewer was half-right: "So Here We Are" was terrible.

In the negative is just about the rest of the album. John Henry Heinz once said, "To do a common thing uncommonly well brings success." Silent Alarm is certainly not uncommon, drawing heavily from the styles of bands like Joy Division and Gang of Four. Unfortunately, the common sounds are not done uncommonly well, and the album falls flat. This album is just boring. I think almost actually fell asleep while listening. It's no secret that I prefer up-tempo styles, but this is just dreadful.

While my friends know that I hold no great love for Joy Division or Gang of Four, my advice is this: Skip this album, put some of your old Joy Division vinyl on, and save yourself the money it would cost you to listen to the copy-cat. Furthermore, if you have a young friend who is drawn in by this album, have them listen to your Joy Division with you, and save them from the rebranding of old music.
Rating: 3/10

Review:

on 2007-01-08 mschmitt Said:

Hm, I agree with lacali12, but can see Christian's point as well. I am a fan of the band, but do agree they may be (read: are) over-hyped. Christina's quote: "Over the course of the album, Bloc Party takes pieces of Joy Division, Wire, and of course, Gang of Four, and puts them together to form a completely unoriginal and undistinguishable sound" is completely on the mark, and is a reason why they've become my guilty pleasure. Sure Bloc Party may be shallow and unoriginal, but that's why they're just so much fun to listen to. The beats and melodies of songs like "Positive Tension" require little attention and include "borrowed" (read: stolen) themes from some greats. I'll admit it: Bloc Party is my guilty pleasure, and I hate them for making me love it so.
Rating: 5/10

Review:

on 2007-01-07 lacali12 Said:

Christian,

You could not be more wrong about this album. Every track is riff-tastic and leaves you wanting more. You also referred to them as "The" Bloc Party, which is not their name! Maybe I can cut you a break on your harsh review, but take another listen to the album and give it a shot. This is a good band that you're giving a horrible review to!



Lewis
Rating: 9/10