If I could pick one band that served as the backing track to the best years of my life; it would easily be Bloc Party. Whether it was driving for the first time and narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with a Land Rover with Two More Years, having Price of Gas blaring from my car with friends through East London or meeting my girlfriend at a Bloc Party gig (see, not all of them are car related); the foursome have never been far behind with their expansive array of tunes, always ready to fill the void when needed.
Just when it seemed everything was running smoothly and the band had three pretty damn good albums under their belt, they took a break. A very long break; one filled with plenty of trolling at the expense of NME and plenty of solo releases (one of which was reviewed last year...right here). Thankfully, they're back together, ready with a new album in tow.
But the question remains; after a three year leave of absence (or four years since their last album); where does Four of indie rock's darlings now sit in the music landscape with their fourth album which is also called Four?
...Fourth...maybe?
...Fourth...maybe?
There's been a recent admission from lead vocalist Kele Okereke that he listened to a lot of Nirvana when recording the album, particularly Bleach. If I was told this before listening to Four; I still wouldn't have believed it but in a strange twist, rather than continue the route Intimacy was heading for and, what Kele's solo career had undertaken; Four is rocky.
...Ok, that's a slight understatement.
From the get-go, guitars are back to a more prominent role, sampling has all but vanished, electronic arrangements are kept to a minimum and songs fly by at a pace, only briefly pausing or the album having short interludes of smalltalk (including a strange story on spiders and something that may or may not be about turkey breasts).
It surprisingly doesn't open with so much as a bang but a grower in the form of So He Begins to Lie, with a gloriously thick bass, short and sweet guitar work and a thunderous drumming outro. Although it's a good opener and gets better with multiple listens, it's probably Bloc's weakest opening number.
It does however serve as a suitable introduction to the album and things simply get louder and more furious. Slapped in the middle of the album is Kettling, which bares more than a passable resemblance to anything off of Ash's debut 1977, with Okereke lyrics focusing on a dangerous yet photogenic generation of youth.
On a similar stance is Team A which features numerous boasts and threats for lyrics, repetitive yet satisfying guitar work which all builds to an awesome, headbanger-esq bridge and what will almost certainly become a live favourite.
Of course you're right for thinking that at some point, the album must surely have moments to give the band and the listener chance to breathe and when it does, there's still as many gems lurking. The almost-certain single Day Four may sound similar to old favourite I Still Remember, but it doesn't have a racing guitars like it's older brethren and instead, plays it more simple and it works just as well.
Whilst Real Talk has all the ingredients for something explosive, it instead builds to beautiful bridge of harmonised vocals and more repetitive yet addictive guitar work. V.A.L.I.S. is somewhat schizophrenic as musically, it's an almost stereotypical pop number, short and sweet although lyrically, it's been more unusual, with a focus on possible false faces or even a jealous glance at what the ex has picked up.
Almost as a bizarre parallel as to how both styles work together on the album is the final two tracks. The Healing is a slow, dramatic affair, similar to Day Four but with more emphasis on strings and vocal harmony. It has all the hallmarks and stereotypes to close the album that the previous three albums had, but instead, the album ends on the tremendous We Are Not Good People; an angry, loud, almost grungey number which has mosh-pit written all over it.
Although I was looking forward to hearing Bloc Party's return, I was a bit worried as to what the three year gap would do to the band's make-up. To me however, Four is a surprising yet ultimately enjoyable follow-up album which will almost certainly be in my top three albums for 2012.
When it wants to be; it's an unadulterated, unabridged, garage-rock monster with excellent riffs, great basslines, fantastic drumming and vocal performances which go to talking to baritone to falsetto and never sound too contrasting to work on the same record.
In the same regard and when they're not creating anthems to kick up a fight, they can create some truly wonderful slower numbers with a lot of depth and layering, picking up on subjects and even music motifs and themes that worked so well earlier on and evolving them into newer classics.
As an album that on paper would and should never work; Bloc Party can stand tall, let the masses bow their heads and take note; one of music's brighter, more vibrant bands are back and just possibly; better than ever.
9/10
H
@retcon_nation
...Ok, that's a slight understatement.
From the get-go, guitars are back to a more prominent role, sampling has all but vanished, electronic arrangements are kept to a minimum and songs fly by at a pace, only briefly pausing or the album having short interludes of smalltalk (including a strange story on spiders and something that may or may not be about turkey breasts).
It surprisingly doesn't open with so much as a bang but a grower in the form of So He Begins to Lie, with a gloriously thick bass, short and sweet guitar work and a thunderous drumming outro. Although it's a good opener and gets better with multiple listens, it's probably Bloc's weakest opening number.
It does however serve as a suitable introduction to the album and things simply get louder and more furious. Slapped in the middle of the album is Kettling, which bares more than a passable resemblance to anything off of Ash's debut 1977, with Okereke lyrics focusing on a dangerous yet photogenic generation of youth.
On a similar stance is Team A which features numerous boasts and threats for lyrics, repetitive yet satisfying guitar work which all builds to an awesome, headbanger-esq bridge and what will almost certainly become a live favourite.
Of course you're right for thinking that at some point, the album must surely have moments to give the band and the listener chance to breathe and when it does, there's still as many gems lurking. The almost-certain single Day Four may sound similar to old favourite I Still Remember, but it doesn't have a racing guitars like it's older brethren and instead, plays it more simple and it works just as well.
Whilst Real Talk has all the ingredients for something explosive, it instead builds to beautiful bridge of harmonised vocals and more repetitive yet addictive guitar work. V.A.L.I.S. is somewhat schizophrenic as musically, it's an almost stereotypical pop number, short and sweet although lyrically, it's been more unusual, with a focus on possible false faces or even a jealous glance at what the ex has picked up.
Almost as a bizarre parallel as to how both styles work together on the album is the final two tracks. The Healing is a slow, dramatic affair, similar to Day Four but with more emphasis on strings and vocal harmony. It has all the hallmarks and stereotypes to close the album that the previous three albums had, but instead, the album ends on the tremendous We Are Not Good People; an angry, loud, almost grungey number which has mosh-pit written all over it.
Although I was looking forward to hearing Bloc Party's return, I was a bit worried as to what the three year gap would do to the band's make-up. To me however, Four is a surprising yet ultimately enjoyable follow-up album which will almost certainly be in my top three albums for 2012.
When it wants to be; it's an unadulterated, unabridged, garage-rock monster with excellent riffs, great basslines, fantastic drumming and vocal performances which go to talking to baritone to falsetto and never sound too contrasting to work on the same record.
In the same regard and when they're not creating anthems to kick up a fight, they can create some truly wonderful slower numbers with a lot of depth and layering, picking up on subjects and even music motifs and themes that worked so well earlier on and evolving them into newer classics.
As an album that on paper would and should never work; Bloc Party can stand tall, let the masses bow their heads and take note; one of music's brighter, more vibrant bands are back and just possibly; better than ever.
9/10
H
@retcon_nation
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