LP: Interpol,
November 9th 2008 15:53
Often compared to Joy Division, Interpol is a modern day purveyor of post punk rock. Yet rather than sounding identical to the legendary Manchester band, Interpol, from New York City, fuse Ian Curtis' sense of glorious gloom into a tension-filled mix that is just as influenced by bands like Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo.
Antics is the second, perfect album from Interpol. The opener, "Next Exit,", finds singer Paul Banks in weary resign, yet trying to inspire a would-be co-conspirator: "So do this thing with me instead of tying on a tight one tonight." More than the debut, Antics shows Interpol's unease with rock and roll fame, trying desperately to balance the lifestyle with the group's own often delicate sensibilities.
The results are sensational.
"Evil" uses Banks' childlike, rapid-fire phrasing to create an irresistible urgency, while the frantic "Slow Hands" is the band's most intense track ever. Elsewhere, inspired flourishes bolster the songs; "Take You On A Cruise" is buyoed by a reggae rhythm, while "Not Even Jail," is Interpol is at their most Joy-Divisional, forcing a wall of guitars into a dense, ominous storm. Throughout, Banks relays his fragililty. On "C'mer," he sings the opening line with an old-soul weariness that could crush average emo/mall poseurs in their tracks: "It's way too late to be this locked inside ourselves."
In fact, Interpol are probably compared to Joy Division so often not because they sound alike, but because both so effectively capture angst from an adult viewpoint. That po-mo mojo is crucial to great rock and roll, and it's what separates post-punk from so many other subgenres of the devil's music.
Antics is the second, perfect album from Interpol. The opener, "Next Exit,", finds singer Paul Banks in weary resign, yet trying to inspire a would-be co-conspirator: "So do this thing with me instead of tying on a tight one tonight." More than the debut, Antics shows Interpol's unease with rock and roll fame, trying desperately to balance the lifestyle with the group's own often delicate sensibilities.
The results are sensational.
"Evil" uses Banks' childlike, rapid-fire phrasing to create an irresistible urgency, while the frantic "Slow Hands" is the band's most intense track ever. Elsewhere, inspired flourishes bolster the songs; "Take You On A Cruise" is buyoed by a reggae rhythm, while "Not Even Jail," is Interpol is at their most Joy-Divisional, forcing a wall of guitars into a dense, ominous storm. Throughout, Banks relays his fragililty. On "C'mer," he sings the opening line with an old-soul weariness that could crush average emo/mall poseurs in their tracks: "It's way too late to be this locked inside ourselves."
In fact, Interpol are probably compared to Joy Division so often not because they sound alike, but because both so effectively capture angst from an adult viewpoint. That po-mo mojo is crucial to great rock and roll, and it's what separates post-punk from so many other subgenres of the devil's music.
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