Bloc Party – Four
Frenchkiss
August 20, 2012

This is a band that knows how to evolve.  We were introduced to record number one, Silent Alarm, with jaggy guitars, minimal electronics, incredibly precise drumming, and Kele’s unique tone that was unlike anything else out of England at the time.  Record number two, A Weekend In The City, brought us a more polished, full sounding, stadium ready band.  The guitars were warmer, and the bass was deeper.  Record number three, Intimacy, was the sound of a car hitting black ice, as the band turned dance-punk music on its head and brought blistering cold and slippery electronics to the forefront.  A four year hiatus was well deserved, even as the future of the band recording another full length seemed uncertain.  Of course, 2012 brought us record number four, as it is also titled, and the band’s nosiest effort to date.  “Indie Rock” may be a highly overused and outdated term, but that’s exactly what this is, with the distortion and drive turned up to eleven.  It’s unmistakably Bloc Party, but with the guitar solos thrown in (I know, guitar solos and noisy indie rock don‘t seem to go together, but they pull it off here), it’s easily different enough to win over new fans who may not have been familiar with their previous work.  Don’t be scared by my use of the word “noise” though; there’s plenty on here that is reminiscent of Silent Alarm and will make you want to move.  Not necessarily dance, but MOVE.

7.5/10

If you had to listen to two tracks:  Kettling / Octopus