Interpol Antics Review

I'm lucky. I get to listen to new music every day. However, the majority is dreadfully dull, derivative rubbish. But, just occasionally, something comes along that blows you away. A song or an album that you completely love, that makes you passionate about music once again. The first time I listened to Interpol's debut,Turn On The Bright Lights, was one such moment. Here was a band that sounded as good as their obvious influences (early REM, Joy Division, The Cure) but still managed to be fresh and new.

Two years later, Interpol's second album opens in typically maudlin fashion: "We're gonna trek this shit around...we ain't going to the town, we're going to the city." sings Paul Banks resignedly as if attempting to convince himself and his band that going on tour, to visit all the exciting delights of the modern world, will be more exciting than a monotonous nine to five dead end job. Fame obviously hasn't made them any less melancholic.

Track two, "Evil", opens with a thunderous bassline. Carlos D, the band's bass player must have one of the most envied jobs in rock. But in fact that could be said for each band member. They all play a crucial part in the making of this precise, doom laiden music.

"Take You On A Cruise" rolls along wonderfully for nearly five minutes and is a great prologue to the simply phenomenal "Slow Hands". A better song I haven't heard all year. They rock out then pause, before the flailing guitars return, as Banks' consistently calm vocals have to strain ever so slightly above the beautiful din.

What's inescapable is that Antics does sound similar to Turn On The Bright Lights. This is despite the drummers attempt to lift the gloom by introducing a poppy, even dance drum beat during two or three tracks. Their fellow New Yorkers, The Strokes, released their sophomore effort a year ago which was in effect Is This It part 2, and were roundly criticised for it. However this record has been widely praised. The difference is that Interpol have progressed. The band haven't repeated the formula, they've improved upon it.

I was chatting to a friend about Antics and she enthusiastically stated 'It's good isn't it!' 'Yes, it's fantastic' I said, before trying to explain why. Interpol, have taken all the amazing moments from their debut and improved them, magnified them.

Like my friend said: "It's good". Buy it.