Weekend In The City, A - Bloc Party

...and a few weeks ago, Weekend In The City was released. To ensure that the band didn't fall into the trap of releasing something just for the sake of it they enlisted the help of well known producer Jacknife Lee. He'd previously worked with both Kasabian and Snow Patrol so the signs that he could help Bloc Party were promising. The four piece from Essex wouldn't be happy with a mediocre release themselves and that's why almost exactly 2 years after ...
...is an album that actually borders on being better than the debut. I felt after a couple of listens that this album offered a sound that would perhaps stand the test of time a little more. Having now had the CD in the car almost constantly since its release my opinion certainly hasn't changed on that score. Of course the experience of the last couple of years has matured the bands music, but the lyrics still seem to carry the same message. It still ...

Andy.mack 10.03.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Weekend In The City, A - Bloc Party

A Weekend in the City starts quietly with Song for Clay (Disappear Here). Quickly accelerates into familiar territory from Silent Alarm, but there's something noticeably different. It's as if all of the Silent Alarm themes have been crammed into this first track as a deliberate link with the past - a point for fans to identify with perhaps. But also themes from the new album are crammed in to provide a pointer to the future. It's a very busy track ...
...this third track that A Weekend in the City really hits its stride, and establishes itself. As a whole, the album is a picture of a disaffected adult straining at the leash imposed by city rat-race life. It talks of waiting for dancing in the evenings, of weekend day trips to Brighton and other such escapism that bewitches people with its hope. Otherwise, there are powerful overtones of past regrets and of conservatism that has become stifling. It's ...

GilesGuthrie 12.04.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Weekend In The City, A - Bloc Party

...returned in 2007 with "A Weekend in the City". But with so many bands releasing second albums this year - Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys etc - can they achieve what many don't, and make a better album second time around? Now, I'm reviewing this after just two listens, and I found their debut needed a few before I got into it and became addicted, so with that in mind, can this effort grab the listener first time around? Or not at all?! ...
...is this album? Firstly, "A Weekend in the City" is not as good as Silent Alarm in my opinion, but then again, you're opinion could be completely different. However, their complexity in lyrics shows an excellent growing of age. Available on Amazon for £7.98, or £8.99 with an additional DVD, it's worth a listen, especially if you're a fan. If you're new to them, I'd advise you to go for Silent Alarm So then, no it's not as good as Silent Alarm…if ...

carl.mcqueen 22.03.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Weekend In The City, A - Bloc Party

...this class is Bloc Party’s Weekend in the City, follow-up to 2005’s Silent Alarm. When approaching something like this, it is so easy to resort to that tired cliché: ‘it’s not as good as the first one’, but in order to give it a fair chance, we have to disassociate ‘good’ from ‘familiar’. I should think that even the most committed fans will feel secretly disappointed when first listening to it – there is very little that immediately recalls the ...
...to crave recognition?’ A Weekend in the City certainly feels much more like Kele’s album – where their debut was powered primarily by the sturdy beats of the peerless rhythm section, here the whooshing groove recedes slightly, allowing for more lyrical reflections. While the more introspective lyrical mood doesn’t produce any particularly outstanding offerings, it is good to see that the songwriting has matured sufficiently to give a place to more ...

cazzie_alice 18.05.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Weekend In The City, A - Bloc Party

...with it's predecessor. 'A Weekend in the City' doesn't have the same raw edge that 'Silent Alarm' had, and instead provides us with many more chilled and insightful songs. Any true Bloc Party fan will tell you that Matt Tong's drumming is the key to their sound. He provides the band with the edgey bounce that defines BP's sound. Although his drumming still resounds resolutely through such tracks as 'Hunting For Witches', and 'The Prayer', the pounding ...
...to be following the same formula and lack originality, and although 'A Weekend In The City' may not be quite as creative as its predecessor, overall the album is still ahead of it's competition and is a success; maintaining Bloc Party as one of the leaders in the UK scene. ...

trumpsnuffler 12.02.2007 (15.02.2007) · Read full review
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Review of Weekend In The City, A - Bloc Party

Out of all the albums I have owned, this is probably in the top 5. Now, there are some excellent tracks on here which are further explained below: Hunting for witches: This song is very upbeat, with a lot of eltronica mixed in to create a piece which is both catchy and likable. Waiting for the 7:18: This song, for Bloc Party, is much more sedate, and more down beat. However, whatever it lacks in an uplifting, it counteracts that with the clever lyrics ...
...Bloc party, but I think most people who listen to this song can relate to the lyrics. Now, this album is not in the same league as Silent Alarm, the first album from Bloc (How could I ever forget Banquet), but I think the main thing to remember is the 'Party' have gone in a new direction with the Album and are trying to diversify. This can also be seen from the release of Flux, the single which was recently released, which is unlike any of the previous ...

Thebanditgolfer 29.08.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Weekend In The City, A - Bloc Party

...Okereke, Matt Tong A Weekend in the City is the second album by the band and was released on February 5, 2007 in the UK and February 6 in the United States. The album debuted at #12 in the Billboard 200 with 48,000 copies sold. It became available via the UK's iTunes store a day ahead of schedule, on February 4, and reached the #2 spot in the Official UK Chart. The album was produced by Jacknife Lee. The first UK single, "The Prayer", was released ...
...On February 1, 2007, A Weekend in the City was made available to listen to for free through the band's official MySpace page. The band's first gig following the release of AWITC was on February 5 at Reading Hexagon. It was broadcasted live on BBC's Music Station 6 Music that night as well. The musical style of A Weekend in the City is more varied than the previous album and songs, drawing influence particularly from more expansive sounding bands, ...

LOR92 05.06.2007 (11.06.2007) · Read full review
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Review of Weekend In The City, A - Bloc Party

...Bloc Party. The Album 'The Weekend In the City' is a masterpiece alongside other work from the artist such as Flux, A silent alarm and weekend in the city tops it I favour this out of the selection of bloc party albums i got. However the songs can be very repetative but however can still stay in the original bloc party style, I highly recommend this to any Indie Fans Who like fratelis, Athlete etc. To check this album out!! ...

lukeym66 21.09.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Weekend In The City, A - Bloc Party

i question how any young person could possibly dislike this album! This second album shows a more developed bloc party. The songs are so dramatic and exciting and everyone is unique and absolute quality. The whole album just emitamizes youth, i feel, and i would happily call it the soundtrack to my life. Its an experience and it has to be listened to! This album is so vibrant, yet strangely haunting. its so rare that you come across an album that ...

kezabella 26.05.2007 (28.05.2007) · Read full review
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Review of Weekend In The City, A - Bloc Party

Weekend in the city is the long awaited follow up to 2005's debut album from Bloc Party, Silent Alarm. The album was spectacular, gripping the listener from beginning to end, and reaching #3 in the official UK album charts. After this album the band obviously had a tricky task trying to top it. Fans of the first album may at first be slightly dissapointed with this album, as although full of great tunes a cut above the rest, they don't seem to have ...
...change, after a few runs through tracks will start to stand out. Having had the album for a while now I believe it is at least as good if not better than the band's debut. Possibly the reason for this is simply that the band's sound has slightly changed, they seem to have taken a slightly more mature approach, making the tracks more interesting. I definitely think that the band have lived up to expectations created by Silent Alarm and this album ...

trstns 15.06.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Weekend In The City, A - Bloc Party

A Weekend In The City Is the latest album from Bloc Party. With exellent Riffs and beats like in their previous albums. The album starts off with like a real quiet start with Songs For The Clay (Dissappear Here) but it gradually becomes a brilliant jam. The rest of the songs are absolute master pieces, like the songs: "The Prayer", "Waiting For The 7.18" and "I still Remember". This Album lived up to my expectations. It's absolutely brilliant. In ...

the_evildonkey 21.04.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Weekend In The City, A - Bloc Party

Silent Alarm was always going to be a hard act to follow but this album certainly does the business. i would certainly recommend it to both Bloc party fans and also people who like original sounding exciting music which isn't being turfed out by every other band in the country. An amazing rocking album opener 'Song for Clay' is accompanied by the great singles 'the Prayer' and 'I still remember'. Another one to look out for is Uniform which is like ...

chillygreece 31.05.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Weekend In The City, A - Bloc Party