release date: Sep. 27, 2004
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: Peter Katis, Interpol
label: Matador - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Next Exit" - 2. "Evil" (4 / 5) - 3. "Narc" (4 / 5) (live) - 4. "Take You on a Cruise" (4 / 5) - 5. "Slow Hands" (5 / 5) - 8. "C'mere"
2nd studio album by Interpol with producer Peter Katis who also worked with the band on the debut. Now, how could they but not fail? This was one of the most expected follow-up releases, and it's damn good, and in fact very close to succeed big time like the debut. The music is not that different, and that's the first real flaw: that it sounds so much alike the debut. I think, the production has improved a bit. It's not something you'll hear right away, but I find that the sound is more ambient (not the style ambient), adding a further layer to the sound. It contains some great and truly fine tracks but... and that's the second flaw: it also contains three obvious fillers ("Not Even Jail", "Length of Love", "A Time to Be so Small"), which subtracts something from the overall experience and underlines that they could not make another great album so soon.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]
