release date: Aug. 21, 2008
format: cd (LTD. O-Card)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,08]
producer: Jacknife Lee & Paul Epworth
label: Wichita - nationality: England, UK
Tracklist: 1. "Ares" (4 / 5) - 2. "Mercury" - 3. "Halo" (4 / 5) - 4. "Biko" (4 / 5) - 5. "Trojan Horse" (4 / 5) - 6. "Signs" - 7. "One Month Off" - 8. "Zephyrus" - 9. "Talons" (5 / 5) [PLAY LOUD!!] (live) - 10. "Better Than Heaven" - 11. "Ion Square" - *12. "Letter to My Son" - *13. "Your Visits Are Getting Shorter" (4,5 / 5)
*Bonus track on Limited Edition
3rd studio album by Bloc Party follows 1½ years after A Weekend in the City (Feb. 2007) and it already appears as an attempt to combine the sound of Silent Alarm produced by Paul Epworth and the 2007-album produced by Jacknife Lee simply by putting the two producers together for this one. The two are aside from production, also credited programming and keyboards. The Limited Edition contains two bonus tracks of which the last simply happens to be the second best song on the album.
The album doesn't sound like either of the two previous studio albums and it reveals a combo of electropop, alt. dance, and indie rock. Although, it doesn't sound alike, it's still very much the natural progression from A Weekend in the City with more electro and more dance, however, they're still able to incorporate Russell Lissack's guitar skills - as he once again demonstrate his abilities as an exceptional instrumentalist - just listen to "Talons" - that song is like a rocket launch or a flame thrower. I just love the sound of that guitar and it makes me wanna go out and buy one again. It's Bloc Party when they're best: "And when it co-o-o-mes, it'll feel like a kiss"... The first 100 times I was really annoyed by the simpleness and repetitious "Mercury", but today I find it pretty damn good, and overall it's truly nice to witness these guys' change of style. Instead of copying other post-punk revivalists and indie rock bands, these four guys go their own way and by doing that, they lose lots of fans and critics but they sort of say: "we don't make music for you - we do this now!" And I applaud their attitude and their will to experimentation.
Highly recommended.
2008 Favourite releases: 1. Sigur Rós Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust - 2. Bloc Party Intimacy - 3. Alanis Morissette Flavors of Entanglement
