'Silent Alarm' is Bloc Party's debut studio release and was released through Wichita Records in early 2005. It's a thirteen track album of indie rock and the run time of this album release from the band is just over 50 minutes. Before I opted to give this album a listen I remember that there ... Read review
Silent Alarm - Bloc Party
Styled more along the lines of a revolutionary cell than a band, Bloc Party approach the ... more
medium of rock'n'roll with the sort of high seriousness usually reserved for philosophy lectures. Yet on their debut album,Silent Alarm, this "autonomous unit" of ...
Silent Alarm - Bloc Party
Styled more along the lines of a revolutionary cell than a band, Bloc Party approach the ... more
medium of rock'n'roll with the sort of high seriousness usually reserved for philosophy lectures. Yet on their debut album, Silent Alarm, this "autonomous unit" of...
in recent years, it therefore makes perfect sense for London post-punks Bloc Party to hand their debut album over to a team of remixers. That is works (frequently well) is down to two things: the strength of the collaborators--the likes of Ladytron, Paul Phones Epworth, and Trash resident DJ Erol Alkan demonstrate a close affinity for the original songs--and the strong rhythmic nature of the Bloc sound. The majority of the remixers appear to have used the powerful rhythm section as a starting point, bassist Gordon Moakes instrument turned up high in the mix and drummer Matt Tongs percussion tightened into steely disco rhythms. The records stand-out is "Helicopter (Whitey Version)", which keeps the originals propulsive drum beat and taut guitar strum, but strips the rest of the track back to a gleaming exo-skeleton an effect that leaves frontman Kele Okerekes werewolf howls exposed. More subtle rejigs come courtesy of Four Tet and Yeah Yeah Yeahs Nick Zinner, who take on "So Here We Are" and "Compliments" and draw out Blocs taste for a more restrained, floaty ambience. --Louis Pattison
in recent years, it therefore makes perfect sense for London post-punks Bloc Party to hand their debut album over to a team of remixers.That is works (frequently well) is down to two things: the strength of the collaborators--the likes of Ladytron, Paul Phones Epworth, and Trash resident DJ Erol Alkan demonstrate a close affinity for the original songs--and the strong rhythmic nature of the Bloc sound. The majority of the remixers appear to have used the powerful rhythm section as a starting point, bassist Gordon Moakes instrument turned up high in the mix and drummer Matt Tongs percussion tightened into steely disco rhythms. The records stand-out is "Helicopter (Whitey Version)", which keeps the originals propulsive drum beat and taut guitar strum, but strips the rest of the track back to a gleaming exo-skeleton an effect that leaves frontman Kele Okerekes werewolf howls exposed. More subtle rejigs come courtesy of Four Tet and Yeah Yeah Yeahs Nick Zinner, who take on "So Here We Are" and "Compliments" and draw out Blocs taste for a more restrained, floaty ambience. --Louis Pattison
A review by RazzaLazza on Silent Alarm - Bloc Party July 11th, 2008
Author's product rating:
Originality
Average
Lyrics
Standard
Quality and consistency of tracks
Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Not applicable
Value for Money
Satisfactory
Advantages:
The music is pleasant to listen to .
Disadvantages:
The tracks are all quite stylistically similar, a lack of creative innovation is shown .
Recommend to potential buyers:
no
Full review
'Silent Alarm' is Bloc Party's debut studio release and was released through Wichita Records in early 2005. It's a thirteen track album of indie rock and the run time of this album release from the band is just over 50 minutes. Before I opted to give this album a listen I remember that there was a lot of hype surrounding this release, Bloc Party's 'Silent Alarm' album was one which was loved by many when it was released; the album also has its haters and I guess you could say that this debut release from Bloc Party is a bit of a Marmite album in that you'll probably either love it or you hate it. Personally, I find the album really quite average. The tracks are pretty good, they all follow the same indie rock formula however and by the times you reach the end of the album you've ultimately listened to the same track thirteen times over. There are some tracks that are a little better than others, the variation is distinctly lacking however and pretty much every track possesses the exact same song structure. There are a couple here that break free of the Bloc Party formula and therefore stand strong as definite highlights from this release, these tracks are few and far between however and 'Silent Alarm' is just really rather bland.
In terms of highlights I'd have to say that such tracks as 'Like Eating Glass', 'Luno', and 'Banquet' are the most magnificent of the bands tracks here; 'Luno' and 'Banquet' are quite different to the vast majority of the tracks present on this album, they do however sound incredibly similar to one another so even when the bands tries out something a little bit different it's decided that this new idea should be tested out twice. There's a definite lack of ideas displayed here; the guitar work is quite powerful, the vocals do not however change from one track to the next and it's therefore difficult at times to tell exactly where one track ends and the next track begins. The vocal performance is soulful and quite melancholic; the vocals are pleasant to listen to and at times the tracks are great fun to sing along to. 'Like Eating Glass' has the fantastic sing along chorus of 'Like drinking poison, like eating glass'; it's magnificently put across here by the bands lead vocalist Kele Okereke and is I feel the best example of the bands infectiously catchy choruses. It's not exactly bouncy or highly commercial, the track does however possess a strong melody and every time I listen to this track I can't help but sing along as I do so.
'Like Eating Glass' is actually the opening track on this album, it's followed by 'Helicopter' and once more here the bands fine sound really comes across incredibly well. The song structure is strong here and everything about the track is just absolutely excellent. The drum work is brilliant, the guitars are supremely well put across in the sound, and vocally also the track is just here absolutely exceptional. The bands super drum work is actually the reason that I love 'Luno' and 'Banquet' so much; both of these tracks possess absolutely blinding drum work and from start to finish with these two tracks you're in for a thrill ride of action and excitement with the super strong drum beats that the bands sound has to offer here. In both of these tracks the drumbeat is actually the main sound that can be heard; all other instruments and the vocals also seem to be moulded around the drums and the drums are very much the centrepiece of the bands sound and brought completely to the fore at all points throughout the duration of these two tracks.
The music is not badly put across by Bloc Party here, the sound is actually incredibly intelligently constructed by the band and it's therefore all the more frustrating that the tracks are all just so stylistically similar. This is a band that I do believe possesses a high level of talent, the talent of the bands four members is not best used here however as over and over the band persistently put out the same track time and time again. As I've already stated; 'Luno' and 'Banquet' are two tracks that break the formula a little, I can barely tell the two tracks apart however and on the two occasions that the band does break its mould and does tread new ground; the exact same ground is trodden. The band lacks ideas and the music therefore lacks excitement, instrumentally and vocally it's quite a good album but is spoilt very much so by the repetitive nature of the music. Were the tracks a little more varied in sound then I'd most definitely enjoy listening to this album a whole lot more, as it stands however the tracks all sound pretty much the same and they're therefore not particularly interesting to listen to at all. There's only so many times you can hear the same track repeated on an album before you begin to become a little tired of the music that you're hearing.
I would not recommend listening to Bloc Party's 'Silent Alarm' album entirely in one sitting; it'll be fifty minutes of music with very little variation and you'll therefore probably want to take a break from listening from time to time. No track is bad as such here, it's just that there's no telling the tracks apart and the bands lack of creative diversity displayed here is therefore extremely frustrating. You want for the bands to push boundaries with the music, the band just doesn't do that however and instead Bloc Party plays it safe as a band by putting to record the same track eleven times over, and a slightly more drum heavy track two times also. There are thirteen tracks here and yet the band only seems to make two different types of sound with its tracks; there's 'Banquet' and 'Luno', and then there's the rest of the album; there's no middle ground and only two musical formulas are experimented with here. I'd heard people rave about this album, I expected so much more, as it turns out however; Bloc Party's 'Silent Alarm' album is a creatively lacking debut album from a band with a severe lack of musical ideas.
Bloc Party is a highly talented band, 'Silent Alarm' does however lack creative innovation and with so many of the tracks sounding the same here it's very difficult to really love this album. I like 'Silent Alarm', it's nothing special though really and due to the limited display of ideas here the album can at times prove to be a little on the bland side. 'Like Eating Glass', 'Luno', and 'Banquet' are three tracks that you should really seek to listen to, these are the best tracks from the album in my opinion and whilst all the music present here is quite interesting to listen to; 'Silent Alarm' definitely does get a little boring after a while. Any one of these tracks could be listened to singularly and enjoyed, as an album however the tracks are all too similar and the albums largest failing is therefore that the music is just too stylistically similar and creatively unimaginative.
...release of their debut album Silent Alarm I was eagerly waiting, buying it on the Monday it was released, and I'm aware that these days that's a risky business, given the rate that record companies pump out 'Special Edition' versions of good albums, but as of yet, Bloc Party have yet to disappoint.
Now, I deliberately put off finishing this review until I saw the band live, why? I'm not sure, but I just felt it might sort of enhance my appreciation ... ...there is one thing about Silent Alarm that needs pointed out, it's that it isn't the knee to the balls of rapid fire guitars like Helicopter, and it certainly took me a couple of listens to really get into it. However, since I did get into it, the album has been a fixture on my ipod, and it doesn't look like losing any of it's staying power on it any time soon. Another reason it took me so long to put up, was because I was waiting to see if it would ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: It's an excellent album, totally different to everything else. Contains one of the best song's I've heard in years Disadvantages: A few tracks take their time to grow. Instantly compared to bands like Franz Ferdinand and The Killers, without being judged on its own merit
...release of their debut album, Silent Alarm, I’m now actually quite keen to see them live and thankfully they are playing this years festival.
The band from North London formed back in 1998 when guitarist and lead singer Kele OKereke met fellow guitarist Russell Lissack. They then placed adverts in the British music press and were soon joined by Gordon (Bass) and Matt (Drums). They had all grown up listening to the same sort of stuff and decided ... ...release of the debut album, Silent alarm, Bloc Party have come a long way and it looks like they’ll be around for a while.
Upon release of this debut effort, the inevitable comparisons to last years new bands like Franz Ferdinand and The Killers were bound to emerge. This seems a little unjust to me as Bloc Party seem to offer an album that isn’t comparable to anything released recently. Within their music they boast a new edge that was evident ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: The true revival of Joy Division-esque music Disadvantages: Tracks are somewhat too similar at times
Bloc Party's debut album, 'Silent Alarm' arrived in mid Feb 2005 to critical acclaim as the possible answer for the next Joy Division, and it's clear to see why.
The first thing you can note is the 'indie' feel, and the drum beats that are reminiscent of Joy Division at their brief yet best time. The guitars seemed to have picked up their own unique sound as well, and Kele Okereke's vocals are strong, and something Damon Albarn-like about them.
... ...starting point, and could quite easily be a single at some point. The musical elements here are an excellent indication of what is to follow throughout the album.
'Helicopter' is one of the albums highlights, and proof of some of the catchy and exciting guitar riffs on the album. Released as a single, it is certainly a song that will catch anyone's attention and draw them to Bloc Party if they weren't aware of them.
'Positive Tension' is thought ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Lyrically and vocally compelling.Sounds bit like Joy Division, Sonic Youth, The Cure and such like Disadvantages: The vocals can sometimes bit a bit shouty and musically they aren't that impressive or different.
Although I really dont like Bloc Party, I can appreciate this album on its merits. It's weighty with influences from much better bands like Joy Division, Sonic Youth and The Cure and therefore feels familiar and ok to listen to. The east london art-punkers definitely have a charming and down to earth feel both in their vocals and their lyrics. Songs like 'Like eating glass' and 'This modern love' earn this album the respect that I think it does deserves ... ...Hard-Fi. Lyrically and musically 'This modern love' puts them in the same league as great bands like The Rakes that still manage to say something new when so many things have been said and done before. To summarize, there is something sincere and convincing about this band lyrically and vocally and if like me you dont much like them, I can safely suggest giving at least this album a bit of playing time because it is certainly their best. Summary: ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency...
How does it compare to ...
Value for Money
very helpful
29.05.2009
The Pioneers Review ofSilent Alarm - Bloc Partyby
mr_kipling
Advantages: Un-pidgenholeable rock. Different to all else Disadvantages: none that I can think of
...favourites for being different.
Silent Alarm is one of the most different rock albums I have heard in a long time, and Bloc Partys style has been widley accepted and they are hailed by Zane Lowe, NME and MTV2. Buy this album if you are into the general rock/indie thing and easily embrace something different. Even if you don't, this album will grow on you. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Lots of great tunes and great vocals Disadvantages: Some tracks require repeat listenings to get into
...BlocParty are an indie/rock four-piece from Essex. They're led by singer Kele Okereke, who also did the vocals for the Chemical Brothers' recent single "Believe". They were launched onto the scene in the beginning of 2005 when their debut album, SilentAlarm, was hailed as the best album for ages by all the trendy music magazines. Being so far behind the trends in modern music, I only just recently purchased this album after hearing the song Helicopter on the BBC's commonwealth games coverage. Is SilentAlarm as good as the hype suggests?
It certainly starts off with a bang. Like Eating Glass builds up with guitars before a heavy drum beat comes crashing in, and it's all really high-tempo and spiky. Not the best song on here, but it certainly sets out their stall for what is to come next, and it zips along nicely. Helicopter...
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Advantages: Great songs remixed and given new meaning Disadvantages: Not enough variety but still great
...I was sceptical as to whether this was a ploy used by the band just to sell a few more albums. However, this remixed collection of hits arguably sounds more important than the original masterpiece.
BlocParty have left onto the Brtish indie scene in 2005 and their debut 'SilentAlarm' EP was won them much accliam throughout the UK. The remixed version sounds, in one word, amazing.
Opening track 'Like Eating Glass' sounds very echoed. A beautiful synth pad in the background gives the song a whole new feel. The song is mellower than the original but is absolutely fantastic.
Hit song 'Banquet' is given a pounding beat. After the long intro it kicks in. There is a definite electronica feel, juxtaposed with the original guitar riffs. It sounds incredible. A definite highlight.
'This Modern Love' is the most successful sounding...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Upbeat, not cliche Disadvantages: none
...This, for a remix album is fantastic! I first heard this when I was in my last year at Uni, and I was hooked. Of course, I was already in love with SilentAlarm itself.
The reason for this album I am not sure, but I am glad they put it out there as an added extra. There are also some tracks on here which are not on the SilentAlarm Album (Tulips and compliments).
Sometimes when artists release remix albums, they are sheer crap. However the songs from the previous album have been taken and crafted into songs which are far more upbeat, and are worthy of a round of applause.
For all Blocparty supporters out there, who want to hear something new, I highly recommend this album!...
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Label / Distributor: Wichita / Republic Of Music/Universal Music
Producer: Paul Epworth; Bloc Party
Pieces in Set: 1
Studio / Live: Studio
Stereo: Stereo
Format: Performer
EAN: 5055036260756
Additional notes
Album Notes: U.K. edition. On this immensely appealing debut, SILENT ALARM, the London-based quartet Bloc Party fulfills the promise of their barnstorming 2004 singles "Banquet" and "She's Hearing Voices." Led by magnetic frontman Kele Okereke, the band extracts the most fascinating aspects of the previous 25 years of British indie rock and fuses them into a new entity--complete with smarts and heart--never delving into retro-kitsch or slavish imitation. Okerere's urgent yelp most often recalls a fired-up incarnation of the Cure's Robert Smith, but the sounds the group creates echo everything from Gang of Four's staccato militarism ("Banquet") to the reverberating guitars of the Chameleons ("Price of Gas"). At times, Bloc Party also recalls the ecstatic soundwashes of early-1990s cult pioneers like Ride ("Plans") and Slowdive ("Compliments"). Lyrically, Okerere tilts toward an endearing adolescent pessimism that, even when the music is less than mopey, gives him away as a goth at heart ("and the ravens are leaving the tower/make your peace"). However, at the end of "Price of Gas," when he proclaims "I can tell you how this ends/We're going to win this," one can hope that Okerere is expressing his confidence in a bright future for his extremely talented band.
Album Reviews: Rolling Stone (p.76) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[Bloc Party is] a visceral, vibrating dance machine....they distill twenty-five years of spiky British rock, from the Cure to Blur to hot Scots Franz Ferdinand..." Spin (p.64) - Ranked #6 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2005" - "Rarely has romance sounded so expensively, and expansively, sad." Entertainment Weekly (No. 814, p.64) - "[T]his London gang of four delivers a post-punk mishmash of angular guitars, pulsating bass, and tricky time signatures..." - Grade: A- Mojo (p.63) - Ranked #34 in Mojo's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2005" - "[A]n album super-taut and yet expansive, sinewy yet lush..." Mojo (p.100) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Ambitious in scope and abundantly stocked with viral melody, SILENT ALARM is hugely impressive....Their future is assuredly now." Uncut (p.106) - 3 stars out of 5 - "SILENT ALARM's innovation, sense of urgency and sleek production are enough to comfortably elevate Bloc Party above the post-punk rabble."
Titles on disc 1
1.: Like Eating Glass
2.: Helicopter
3.: Positive Tension
4.: Banquet
5.: Blue Light
6.: She's Hearing Voices
7.: This Modern Love
8.: Pioneers
9.: Price Of Gasoline
10.: So Here We Are
11.: Luno
12.: Plans
13.: Compliments
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Listed on Ciao since : 24/03/2005
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