First Blush: Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City
Bloc Party’s debut CD, Silent Alarm, took the indie rawk work by storm. You’ve heard it, and you either like it or love it. It's a bright, politically-minded, exciting piece of work. Their new album came out yesterday, and I just picked it up ($7.99 at Circuit City this week if you’re looking for a deal). I’ve heard none of the new tracks so far, so this is really my first experience with the album. But hey, enough of my yakkin’; whaddya say? Let’s boogie!
Track 1 – Song for Clay (Disappear Here)
0:10 such a sweet little opening. Kele Okereke is falsettoing it up with a few chords and synth strings.
1:03 Drums, drums, drums!
1:08 Now we’re talkin’. It’s like a heavy Falco!
2:20 This is a kickin’ chorus. I can’t tell what Okereke is saying. Awhwaahh awhaahhh. It sounds like the dying giraffe call from the South Park Movie. Also, I think throwing the word “freeway” into any chorus is an inherently great idea.
3:44 “East London is a vampire, it sucks the joy right out of me!” I’m gonna have to hear this again to get that one.
4:21 Coming off the chorus, we get Falco again with “Disappear Here” repeated. Well, this track is awesome. It’s very Interpol-esque, and driving.
Almost on queue, between tracks, Landon Donovan just scored a sick goal vs Mexico. I had to pause the CD. Sorry. I’m already messing up the initial First Blush of my blogging career. I have turned off the TV now.
Track 2 – Hunting for Witches
0:01 A little, well, scratching? It’s like Squarepusher, but not any good.
0:35 I think their remix album got to them a bit. This is a silly opening
1:15 It’s a bit spooky, but sinister enough that it has an edge as Okereke croons “Are they hunting for witches?”
2:00 Lots of electro strings on this one. They’re sounding a bit too poppy
2:29 Now we’re gunning for a movie soundtrack.
3:25 More Squarepsuhery stuff. I’m not impressed with Track 2.
Track 3 – Waiting for the 7.18
0:01 – Feels obliquely like “This Modern Love” at the outset. I’m smellin’ what you’re steppin’ in. Tell me more!
1:03 – Like M83 with a hard beat. Matt Tong is kickin’ it fast here. (M83 remixed The Pioneers on the Silent Alarm remix album, maybe there was some ruboff.)
1:46 “Spending all your spare time, trying to escape with crosswords and sudoku.” Um, not sure what this one is about, but I am curious to see how the hell that fits into anything.
2:13 I’m digging these choruses
2:34 Takin’ it up a notch! (“Let’s try to write him on the weekend”)
3:34 Just noticed that my case is already broken. You know the peg that holds the disc in place? It’s busted. I want my eight bucks back…
4:07 Birdies tweet! Great chorus, boring verses.
Track 4 – The Prayer
0:01 Boom-thwack! boom-thwack-boom-thwack! boom-thwack-boom-thwack!
0:11 Something must be yummy: “Mmmmmm….”
0:43 Speedy beats. This is pretty much techno. I don’t know if they played a guitar on this song.
1:56 “Is it so wrong to crave recognition?” Um, you guys have been plenty recognized. But now of course, I’m just being an internet bloggy jerk guy. I think the kids call that ‘snarky’.
2:20 “Tonight make be unstoppable and I will charm, I will slice, I will dazzle them with my wit.” That’s a fun line. I think I’ve said that to myself before. Pretty sure that prayer went unanswered…
2:54 Video Game Guitar Solo! (brief one)
3:16 This song has potential. It’s going to take a few more listens. Never found out what tasted so good…
Track 5 - Uniform
0:22 Life at Sea-esque (yes, that’s my brother’s old band – they’re playing Darkoom tonight. See you there!)
1:04 This appears to be the slow-builder on the album (the Summertime Rolls if you will). They’re taking their time with this one.
2:03 Maybe it’s just their mellow one? We’ll find out in a few seconds.
2:28 Well, it got faster, but not louder. I want it louder!
2:48 “I could have been a hero! No one can be trusted under the age of 14.” Lots of random voices popping in and out here.
3:25 One loud crunch
3:30 Got three lound crunches
3:42 Gettin’ louder
3:48 Yah!
4:08 “I am a martyr, I just need a motive.”
4:30 More yah! With some wailing guitar!
5:01 I can’t tell how good this one is. Maybe they fooled me, but I like where it went.
Track 6 - On
0:40 Kind of nothing a this point still. Vocals with just some sound behind it (kind of like the opening to track 1)
1:25 Still waiting for something to happen here. “You make my tongue loose. I am home free.”
1:52 This track is called “On”. So far, this is the one where they’re the most off (zing!). It’s just kind of going. The vocals are featured which is a bad idea for Bloc Party. Not that Okereke can’t sing, but they’re not playing to their strengths on this one.
3:12 Nothing new to report
3:39 Started to get going, but all we really added was more strings. We’re still making Okereke’s tongue loose.
4:19 Remember how I mentioned a movie soundtrack earlier? This one will end up in a movie at some point. You’d need some other action going on. I’m merely sitting here.
Track 7 – Where is Home?
0:09 “After the funeral… we sit and reminisce about the past.” All vocals here so far. But I think we’re about to rawk. Please?
1:03 Getting some drums involved. Who’s next?
1:38 “Clinging to her bible and her scapula, and the memory of the way things were…” Good one.
2:08 Some cool dueling melodies on the guitars in the background now. This song is getting darker. That’s where it had to go.
3:27 The band is hitting its stride now – all kinds of action going on from each side of the stereo.
Track 8 – Kreuzberg
0:30 This sounds promising. All guitar and kick drum right now.
1:23 Not rawkin, but we have a good rich sound flowing over us.
3:05 It’s almost too slick now, but I feel like it’s working, even if it may be too poppy for me.
3:35 Oozin’ oohs…
4:45 It’s almost like they’re trying too hard here? I just don’t have a good handle on this one. It’s either cheesy and terrible or passionate and meaningful. Or somewhere in between.
Track 9 – I Still Remember
0:13 Pushing forward again
1:22 Richest sound of the album so far – lots of vocals in the background with a driving beat and guitars workin’ it out.
2:23 This one definitely compares to “Blue Light”. They’re not the same, but there’s a certain connection there.
2:59 “I should’ve kissed you, but I wouldn’t.” Ah, the age old lament. We’ve all heard that one. Wait a sec, that doesn’t make any damn sense!
3:24 “I’d’ve loved you, if you’d asked me.” That was soooo me. Back in my teens, 20s and 30s.
4:13 So this is Bloc Party’s love song. I guess.
Track 10 – Sunday
0:10 Welcome back, tom-toms! We have sorely missed you.
1:10 “I love you in the morning. When you’re still hung over. I love you in the morning. When you’re still strung out.” I’m not sure what this has to do with politics, but I’m guessing it’s about Tony Blair, not Condoleezza Rice.
3:15 Okereke is trying to sound as sweet as can be. He’s actually pulling it off, kind of.
3:37 First real guitar solo, and it’s a little too Eric Johnson-y, but it’s not bad, and fits the song anyway.
4:13 Layers upon layers
Track 11 – SRXT
0:01 Some sounds from a subway? Street? Elevator? Store? Somethin’. Probably the subway.
1:30 Strings coming in. Bells, too.
2:35 Now we get the snare drum and it’s pushing the song along a bit
3:01 SOUND! We’ve been waiting all album for this! Lots of choir vocals and strings and guitar and drums and everything. Thanks for showing up, kids.
4:01 Time to wrap things up “Walkin’ in the countryside, it seems that he winds have stopped. Tell my mother I am sorry and I loved her.”
Initial gut reactions? There’s definitely no “Banquet” on this album, and possibly no “Like Eating Glass” either. But at first blush, the songs are pretty good. There is a whole lotta love being mentioned, particularly on the second half of the album. It seemed like the energy of Silent Alarm is somewhat missing from this one, and that’s a shame. I feel like the energy is what made their first release so good. Perhaps with all their success, they have lost their edge. I thought they were at their best when trying to make a political statement. It’s way possible that I was anticipating more in the same vein, but they have gone a new direction that will take some more time to get. Some of the songs have a lot of potential, and I am looking forward to future listens. Thumbs up so far. Go buy it while it’s cheap.
Join us in two weeks for All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone.
Track 1 – Song for Clay (Disappear Here)
0:10 such a sweet little opening. Kele Okereke is falsettoing it up with a few chords and synth strings.
1:03 Drums, drums, drums!
1:08 Now we’re talkin’. It’s like a heavy Falco!
2:20 This is a kickin’ chorus. I can’t tell what Okereke is saying. Awhwaahh awhaahhh. It sounds like the dying giraffe call from the South Park Movie. Also, I think throwing the word “freeway” into any chorus is an inherently great idea.
3:44 “East London is a vampire, it sucks the joy right out of me!” I’m gonna have to hear this again to get that one.
4:21 Coming off the chorus, we get Falco again with “Disappear Here” repeated. Well, this track is awesome. It’s very Interpol-esque, and driving.
Almost on queue, between tracks, Landon Donovan just scored a sick goal vs Mexico. I had to pause the CD. Sorry. I’m already messing up the initial First Blush of my blogging career. I have turned off the TV now.
Track 2 – Hunting for Witches
0:01 A little, well, scratching? It’s like Squarepusher, but not any good.
0:35 I think their remix album got to them a bit. This is a silly opening
1:15 It’s a bit spooky, but sinister enough that it has an edge as Okereke croons “Are they hunting for witches?”
2:00 Lots of electro strings on this one. They’re sounding a bit too poppy
2:29 Now we’re gunning for a movie soundtrack.
3:25 More Squarepsuhery stuff. I’m not impressed with Track 2.
Track 3 – Waiting for the 7.18
0:01 – Feels obliquely like “This Modern Love” at the outset. I’m smellin’ what you’re steppin’ in. Tell me more!
1:03 – Like M83 with a hard beat. Matt Tong is kickin’ it fast here. (M83 remixed The Pioneers on the Silent Alarm remix album, maybe there was some ruboff.)
1:46 “Spending all your spare time, trying to escape with crosswords and sudoku.” Um, not sure what this one is about, but I am curious to see how the hell that fits into anything.
2:13 I’m digging these choruses
2:34 Takin’ it up a notch! (“Let’s try to write him on the weekend”)
3:34 Just noticed that my case is already broken. You know the peg that holds the disc in place? It’s busted. I want my eight bucks back…
4:07 Birdies tweet! Great chorus, boring verses.
Track 4 – The Prayer
0:01 Boom-thwack! boom-thwack-boom-thwack! boom-thwack-boom-thwack!
0:11 Something must be yummy: “Mmmmmm….”
0:43 Speedy beats. This is pretty much techno. I don’t know if they played a guitar on this song.
1:56 “Is it so wrong to crave recognition?” Um, you guys have been plenty recognized. But now of course, I’m just being an internet bloggy jerk guy. I think the kids call that ‘snarky’.
2:20 “Tonight make be unstoppable and I will charm, I will slice, I will dazzle them with my wit.” That’s a fun line. I think I’ve said that to myself before. Pretty sure that prayer went unanswered…
2:54 Video Game Guitar Solo! (brief one)
3:16 This song has potential. It’s going to take a few more listens. Never found out what tasted so good…
Track 5 - Uniform
0:22 Life at Sea-esque (yes, that’s my brother’s old band – they’re playing Darkoom tonight. See you there!)
1:04 This appears to be the slow-builder on the album (the Summertime Rolls if you will). They’re taking their time with this one.
2:03 Maybe it’s just their mellow one? We’ll find out in a few seconds.
2:28 Well, it got faster, but not louder. I want it louder!
2:48 “I could have been a hero! No one can be trusted under the age of 14.” Lots of random voices popping in and out here.
3:25 One loud crunch
3:30 Got three lound crunches
3:42 Gettin’ louder
3:48 Yah!
4:08 “I am a martyr, I just need a motive.”
4:30 More yah! With some wailing guitar!
5:01 I can’t tell how good this one is. Maybe they fooled me, but I like where it went.
Track 6 - On
0:40 Kind of nothing a this point still. Vocals with just some sound behind it (kind of like the opening to track 1)
1:25 Still waiting for something to happen here. “You make my tongue loose. I am home free.”
1:52 This track is called “On”. So far, this is the one where they’re the most off (zing!). It’s just kind of going. The vocals are featured which is a bad idea for Bloc Party. Not that Okereke can’t sing, but they’re not playing to their strengths on this one.
3:12 Nothing new to report
3:39 Started to get going, but all we really added was more strings. We’re still making Okereke’s tongue loose.
4:19 Remember how I mentioned a movie soundtrack earlier? This one will end up in a movie at some point. You’d need some other action going on. I’m merely sitting here.
Track 7 – Where is Home?
0:09 “After the funeral… we sit and reminisce about the past.” All vocals here so far. But I think we’re about to rawk. Please?
1:03 Getting some drums involved. Who’s next?
1:38 “Clinging to her bible and her scapula, and the memory of the way things were…” Good one.
2:08 Some cool dueling melodies on the guitars in the background now. This song is getting darker. That’s where it had to go.
3:27 The band is hitting its stride now – all kinds of action going on from each side of the stereo.
Track 8 – Kreuzberg
0:30 This sounds promising. All guitar and kick drum right now.
1:23 Not rawkin, but we have a good rich sound flowing over us.
3:05 It’s almost too slick now, but I feel like it’s working, even if it may be too poppy for me.
3:35 Oozin’ oohs…
4:45 It’s almost like they’re trying too hard here? I just don’t have a good handle on this one. It’s either cheesy and terrible or passionate and meaningful. Or somewhere in between.
Track 9 – I Still Remember
0:13 Pushing forward again
1:22 Richest sound of the album so far – lots of vocals in the background with a driving beat and guitars workin’ it out.
2:23 This one definitely compares to “Blue Light”. They’re not the same, but there’s a certain connection there.
2:59 “I should’ve kissed you, but I wouldn’t.” Ah, the age old lament. We’ve all heard that one. Wait a sec, that doesn’t make any damn sense!
3:24 “I’d’ve loved you, if you’d asked me.” That was soooo me. Back in my teens, 20s and 30s.
4:13 So this is Bloc Party’s love song. I guess.
Track 10 – Sunday
0:10 Welcome back, tom-toms! We have sorely missed you.
1:10 “I love you in the morning. When you’re still hung over. I love you in the morning. When you’re still strung out.” I’m not sure what this has to do with politics, but I’m guessing it’s about Tony Blair, not Condoleezza Rice.
3:15 Okereke is trying to sound as sweet as can be. He’s actually pulling it off, kind of.
3:37 First real guitar solo, and it’s a little too Eric Johnson-y, but it’s not bad, and fits the song anyway.
4:13 Layers upon layers
Track 11 – SRXT
0:01 Some sounds from a subway? Street? Elevator? Store? Somethin’. Probably the subway.
1:30 Strings coming in. Bells, too.
2:35 Now we get the snare drum and it’s pushing the song along a bit
3:01 SOUND! We’ve been waiting all album for this! Lots of choir vocals and strings and guitar and drums and everything. Thanks for showing up, kids.
4:01 Time to wrap things up “Walkin’ in the countryside, it seems that he winds have stopped. Tell my mother I am sorry and I loved her.”
Initial gut reactions? There’s definitely no “Banquet” on this album, and possibly no “Like Eating Glass” either. But at first blush, the songs are pretty good. There is a whole lotta love being mentioned, particularly on the second half of the album. It seemed like the energy of Silent Alarm is somewhat missing from this one, and that’s a shame. I feel like the energy is what made their first release so good. Perhaps with all their success, they have lost their edge. I thought they were at their best when trying to make a political statement. It’s way possible that I was anticipating more in the same vein, but they have gone a new direction that will take some more time to get. Some of the songs have a lot of potential, and I am looking forward to future listens. Thumbs up so far. Go buy it while it’s cheap.
Join us in two weeks for All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone.
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3 comments:
If Silent Alarm is the measuring stick, I find this release to be a futile, juvenile attempt to keep our interest. I think I'll pass.
-El Guapo-
Guapo, I think you may be a bit harsh in your estimation, but I can't disagree with you, either. There is some good stuff on the album, but after some more listens, it's paling in comparison to Silent Alarm.
It's grown on me tremendously. Try putting it on headphones as you take a walk through the city at night.
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