Bloc Party's second album a success
By Jeff Renfro
"Silent Alarm," the debut LP from England's Bloc Party, shows an amazing amount of promise, before being overcome by its mediocre ending. The standout tracks are remarkable, but the second half of the album is filler, making the listener look toward the next album.
Bloc Party (Kele Okereke-vocals, guitar; Gordon Moakes-bass; Russell Lissack-guitar; Matt Tong-drums) revel in their status as musical outsiders. They formed in the London music scene while all still students. The band's Web site features an anti-conformist quote from Bertrand Russell, and their lyrics are intentionally esoteric.
The well-educated band is clearly influenced by fellow countrymen Radiohead, and the guitar work brings to mind early U2. The tragic sense that normally accompanies bands of their sort is offset by a romanticism that pervades the album. Although occasionally ironic, the band tends to convey a sincere longing for a better life, both politically and romantically. On their best tracks, they play with a sense of urgency which creates a pulsing beat, to complement the rhythmic guitar.
The standout track, "Banquet," is the album's first single. The track begins with the two guitarist trading riffs over the rhythm section's galloping beat. As with most of the album, the bass is simple, allowing the guitar to take the lead. It establishes a steady beat, which is bolstered by the simple drumming.
Precision is the name of the game when it comes to Bloc Party's rhythm section. The song's lyrics are about the end of a relationship, and the dueling guitars in the song illustrate the back and forth of a troubled relationship.
"This Modern Love" might be the best track on the album. The song opens with jangling guitars, and Okereke's hushed, distorted vocals. The song conveys a sense that the singer is ready to explode at any second. The lyrics focus on the uncertainty of just exactly what a relationship is supposed to be, culminating in a resignation to apathy. It ends with the line "Do you wanna come over/ and waste some time?" repeated several times.
The album's downfall comes in the songs following "This Modern Love." The sense of urgency disappears on several of the tracks, grinding to a lethargic halt. The guitar becomes repetitive and the lyrics are not as subtle or insightful as the early tracks. The band's quiet political criticisms are replaced by heavy-handed complaining.
The track "The Price of Gas" opens with the line "The price of gas keeps on rising," followed by a stock critique of the corporate state. The instrumental portion of the track is great, which makes the lyrics that much more disappointing. The closing track, "Compliments," betrays the intent of the rest of the album. It is the slowest track and trades the simple pulsating rhythms for skittering electronic backing. The lyrics are bland, causing the listener to leave the album with a bad taste in their mouth.
"Silent Alarm" should make the music world excited about the future of Bloc Party. On their next album, if they can maintain the high quality that marks their best songs, they will have a classic album on their hands. B+