Today’s Sounds: Bloc Party

Kele Okereke & co. come at you with their guitars, mics and sticks sparking and starting fires on this fourth Bloc Party album, which sounds a lot like a re-statement of intent, an attempt to reclaim some of the heat they generated back in 2005.

Record:

Bloc Party Four (Frenchkiss)


Kele Okereke & co. come at you with their guitars, mics and sticks sparking and starting fires on this fourth Bloc Party album, which sounds a lot like a re-statement of intent, an attempt to reclaim some of the heat they generated back in 2005.

It may surprise you. The first two tracks are bombastic, particularly “3×3,” with its spooky whispering and gratuitous moaning. Are they trying to compete with Muse? Marilyn Manson? (Maybe Evenko booked these guys on the wrong weekend.)

The raging aggro gets ironic with a nod to metal cheese on “Octopus,” and drops into MOR-Weezer territory with “Real Talk.” It’s at this point that the band latches onto a winning streak, going hard once more on the punked up “Kettling,” getting pretty and pensive on “Day Four,” reeling in raunchy blues on “Coliseum” and doing what they do best (punchy, knees-up pop with a hammer for a heart) on “VALIS” and “Team A.”

Welcome back guys.
 

Track:

The Soft Pack “Tallboy”

This San Diego band pays tribute to my favourite beer format in a track from their album Strapped, out Sept. 25 on Mexican Summer.


 

Video:

The 1975 “Anti-Christ”

Jesus. Let’s just say this Manchester band’s sound and visual aesthetic suggest there’s something in the water over there, and it’s been there for decades.


 

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