The overall rating of a review is different from a simple average of all individual ratings.
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
Recommendable
Yes:
Detailed rating:
Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency of tracks
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Value for Money
How does it rate alongside the competitionOutstanding
Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
Just noticed the review formatting has returned, thank god for that
Member since:29.08.2002
Reviews:625
Members who trust:281
For all the bands I’ve seen at Reading Festival there is the odd band that have slipped by that I’ve considered seeing but decided not to. Only to find 6 months later that I actually would have quite liked to see them. Bloc Party are one such band. They appeared at the festival last year but for one reason or another we didn’t make it to see them. Following the 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 they had something to offer the British music industry. So fast forward to the present day and the 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 in anything released last year. The album is quite unique in the sense that it merges post punk influences with modern Indie rifts and produces an album that’s an absolute pleasure to listen to.
The main difference between Bloc Party and the likes of Franz Ferdinand has to be Kele’s vocals. He has a unique vocal style that blends nicely with the superb guitar riffs and creates and energetic, relaxing effect. Where the guitars really give the tracks a fast paced edge, Kele’s vocals calm things down and the combination of the two gives each track a unique sound. Of course the lyrics are quite thought provoking and it’s here that Kele’s vocals really shine through. At no point on the album do his vocals sound stretched, instead he glides through each track with relative ease.
Of course it helps that he’s backed up by some incredible musicians. So often you can find an amazing lead singer let down by the sound of the band. Thankfully this isn’t the case with Bloc Party and musically they sound just as amazing. Each track has a unique sound to it, with a solid backing on the drums and effect laden guitar solo’s. This all helps to create the amazing sound that Bloc Party have developed. It’s an interesting combination that has made the album one of my favourites of the year already.
Don’t get me wrong, the album isn’t perfect and has got a couple of weaker tracks and even then it does take a while to grow on you. It took me three weeks to really get into the album but with tracks like “This Modern Love” and the first single I heard “Helicopter” they keep you listening long enough to become hooked on the rest of the album. The calm relaxed tone of “This Modern Love” makes it one of the best tracks I’ve heard in a long time and that’s largely down to the combination of Kele’s voice and the relaxing effect of the music.
The singles to date have been slightly different with “Helicopter” being a much more upbeat track, while “So Here We Are” shows the bands more mellow angle. There are a few tracks towards the end of the album like “Plans” that haven’t really grabbed me but slowly I seem to be coming round to them. It’s hard to really criticise any of the tracks as although I’m not overly keen on them, there aren’t actually any I dislike. This has to be quite an achievement for Bloc Party on their debut to make an album that should stand the test of time.
Overall it’s a fantastic effort from Bloc Party and an album that will make excellent summer listening. It has a relaxing effect that really sets them apart from a lot of the albums released in recent times. They don’t really compare to anything released recently and I think that’s what gives them a nice edge on the competition. It will also mean that people won’t instantly love the album but it’s worth persevering with and eventually it should be able to hold your interest. If you liked the singles you’ll love the album.
Amazon.co.uk: £8.99
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Great review! I wasn't a fan of theirs until I heard "This Modern Love". I totally agree with you, it's one of the best songs from that year for sure, it's actually one of my all time favourite songs in life! Did you manage to see them live in the end? They're quite good aren't they?? :) x
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 ...
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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...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
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.
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.
Mar 26th, 2005
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