Bloc Party burst on the indie music scene with 2005’s “Silent Alarm.” It was an energetic, angst-ridden romp that garnered much critical praise. The most impressive thing about that record was its ability to convey emotion without going into whiny emo-land. Not to mention the percussion on that record was extremely dope.
Fast forward two years. The band hooked up with producer Jacknife Lee (U2, Snow Patrol, Kasabian), for its second studio album, “A Weekend in the City.” Exploring more electronic sounds, this album sounds vastly different from their debut.
The album’s first single, “The Prayer,” should be an immediate indicator that you’re in for a different ride this time around.
Kele Okereke sings, “Lord, give me grace and dancing feet,” over a tricky-esque drum pattern. This track is one of the best mixtures of their new influences with their older sound. If you like this song, you’ll probably like the whole album.
The album’s other single, “I Still Remember,” is a bit too whiny for my taste. Musically, there’s nothing special about the arrangement, but Okereke’s vocals kill the song for me. I like my male singers to sound more masculine, especially in rock. It’s not a bad song per se; it’s just a little too emo for me. It ended up sounding like the theme song to a bad ’80s teen movie.
One standout is the album’s opener, “Song for Clay (Disappear Here).” The track has the same sort of energy that made me fall in love with Bloc Party in the first place. Okereke’s ambient vocals are perfectly juxtaposed against the aggressive track. This is one of the times when the whole guitar solo with electro effects works. I wish the rest of the album maintained this level of intensity.
Another decent track from the album is the drum- and bass-influenced “Where is Home.” Starting with a capella vocals, the track steadily builds, adding syncopated drums, distorted guitars and weird keys to the mix. Overall it’s a good song, but not mind-blowing.
My favorite track on the album is “Sunday,” a percussive yet endearing love song. It works in the same way as “This Modern Love.” When Okereke sings, “I love you in the morning/When you’re still hung over,” he sounds sincere. The best thing about the song is the absence of electronic experimentation. This is by far the best song on the album. It does a good job of capturing emotion without moving into emo-land, which, if you couldn’t tell, I passionately hate.
My complaint with this album isn’t that it’s bad, because it’s a decent enough record. The problem is that it’s so mediocre that I can’t see myself listening to it more than once.
It lacks the same urgency that made “Silent Alarm” great, and it sounds a bit self-indulgent. The moments of greatness are still good enough for me to not completely give up on the band. Besides, everybody’s allowed a clunker on their sophomore album.
So, let’s hope they learn from their mistakes and come back strong, because this one’s pretty weak.
