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Silent Alarm was a stunning slice of brit-pop, it put Bloc Party on the map. Then A Weekend in the City came along, hugely anticipated and while presenting a far more polished sound, it was also well received.
Now third album Intimacy sees the light of day.
The first three tracks leave no doubt that they want to leave behind the blinding sheen of A Weekend in the City. ‘Ares’ and ‘Mercury’ are bordering on grating, with their angular, squalling guitars proving a real test... pass that test though and you will be rewarded with ‘Halo’, a track that balances the frenzy of the first two tracks with a much stronger (and more consistent) melodic riff.
Then something strange happens. The Bloc Party that delivered A Weekend in the City comes back... ballads like ‘Biko’ and ‘Signs’ could well have been on that album. Both enjoyable tracks, but you are left scratching your head at the almost schizophrenic nature of the band. The rest of the album continues in a similar vein, making it a most perplexing beast (hell, on ‘Better than Heaven’ they manage to have all their different personalities in the one track!).
However when all is said and done, there are still some really strong songs on Intimacy, but you may find it more rewarding to run through and grab the gems out, rather than buying the whole thing.
Essential Tracks
Halo
Biko
Talons
Full Track Listing
1. Ares (3:29)
2. Mercury (3:53)
3. Halo (3:36)
4. Biko (5:01)
5. Trojan Horse (3:32)
6. Signs (4:40)
7. One Month Off (3:39)
8. Zephyrus (4:35)
9. Talons (4:43)
10. Better than Heaven (4:22)
11. Ion Square (6:37)
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