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Amazon.co.uk Review
The number of modern rock bands pillaging from the early '80s continues to increase exponentially, but Antics, the second album from New York's Interpol, confirms they're still a cut above all but The Rapture in the elegance of their steals. Building on the twin pillars of arch detachment and icy rock instrumentation laid out on 2002's Turn On The Bright Lights, this is a record that holds its moments of genuine emotional insight under tight rationing - but luckily, such stoicism only increases its long-term pay-off. The Interpol we know and love gels best for the remarkable "Take You on a Cruise", tangled affairs of the heart rendered magisterially through one of Banks' cryptic riddles: "The pretence is not what restricts me/ It's the circles inside". But while there are welcome deviations from the hymn sheet – take "Next Exit", a graceful introduction that cruises along on the drumbeat from The Ronettes' "Be My Baby" – it's when the edgier influences poke through the gaps that Interpol truly thrill: Daniel Kessler's intricate, Television-style guitar work, simultaneously terse and expressive on "Evil" - or Carlos Dengler's elastic, roaming bassline, as familiar in its own way as those of Joy Division's Peter Hook. --Louis Pattison
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. --Dan Tallis
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
A friend highly recommended Interpol to me, based upon the first album, and I found myself doing a very unusal thing. I bought the album without hearing any of the songs, and not having a clue what to expect. I put it on, and after hearing it the first time I felt very let down. Determined not to waste a tenner and consign the CD to an eternity in the CD-rack, I decided to play it again to see if it would grow on me. I played it again. And again. And again. Then something strange started to happen. Admist the disappointing tracks, a stand-out song started to emerge. And then another. And another. Before long I was loving the whole album! It really is outstanding, it just needs a little getting in to. The music is, on the whole, a little dark, heavy- yet not, and quite different. It really is no exaggeration to say that there is no filler, as soon as you here the first song "Next Exit", you know you are about to be taken on an epic journey.
Not only do you get pleasure from listening to one excellent song after the other, you also feel that you've earned it after working so hard to get into the album. Highly recommended- just give it some time to grow.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If you're having any doubts about buying this album...DON'T. I can honestly say of the many albums i own or have listened to none have grabbed me quite as this one has, its a dark, melodic masterpiece from a band who seem to be severley underated. Having listened to the album many times now i keep coming back to the question, why isn't this band massive as if Franz Ferdinand, Strokes and others can have such success and recieve numerous accolades, then this band deserve every bit as much praise if not more, as their albums unlike many of their contempories are more than just one, two or three songs intermingled amongst mediocrity. Maybe though, the fact that the radio isn't playing their songs every ten minutes and your mate, your mum and the guy next door don't own a copy just adds to the enjoyment of having a copy what is a truly great album.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I heard of Interpol when the single 'Evil' was released and i couldn't wait to get this album. Since then i have purchased their debut album and have been immensley satsified by both.
This album is an absolute must for anyone who enjoys the sounds of a band making good music and also experimenting with their sound.
Here are my verdicts on the tracks:
Next Exit: This is a brilliant opening track. It starts of slowly with a guitar and synth but builds into an epic chorus which will have you tapping your feet along to.
Evil: This song is stunning and is brilliant live. With the pounding bass intro and the soaring chorus this song is the first highlight of the album.
Narc: This song sees the band slow down after Evil but they don't let the quality go. This is a brilliant song and builds into a brilliant chorus with fantastic lyrics.
Take You On A Cruise: This is an epic track and is almost the best on the album. I can't say much more to be honest. Simply stunning.
Slow Hands: Another single and it really picks up the pace for the album. The chorus and middle eight of this song deliver much joy and you will listen to it again and again.
Not Even Jail: A pulsating intro to this song soars into a fantastic verse and breathtaking chorus. For me, this is the highlight of the album and needs to be heard, for the chorus alone. Amazing!
Public Pervert: Another good filler track but it tends to drag on. A good song nonetheless!
C'Mere: Another brilliant single from the band. This is a great song and is great live.
Length Of Love: Similar structure to Slow Hands but a song that stands on it's own two feet. Needs to be heard. The lyrics are stunning.
A Time To Be So Small: A fantastic outro by Inerpol. Epic.
Overall, i love this album! It is very different (apart from Editors!) and shows a brilliant band in the prime of their careers.
Buy it now!
This album is an absolute must for anyone who enjoys the sounds of a band making good music and also experimenting with their sound.
Here are my verdicts on the tracks:
Next Exit: This is a brilliant opening track. It starts of slowly with a guitar and synth but builds into an epic chorus which will have you tapping your feet along to.
Evil: This song is stunning and is brilliant live. With the pounding bass intro and the soaring chorus this song is the first highlight of the album.
Narc: This song sees the band slow down after Evil but they don't let the quality go. This is a brilliant song and builds into a brilliant chorus with fantastic lyrics.
Take You On A Cruise: This is an epic track and is almost the best on the album. I can't say much more to be honest. Simply stunning.
Slow Hands: Another single and it really picks up the pace for the album. The chorus and middle eight of this song deliver much joy and you will listen to it again and again.
Not Even Jail: A pulsating intro to this song soars into a fantastic verse and breathtaking chorus. For me, this is the highlight of the album and needs to be heard, for the chorus alone. Amazing!
Public Pervert: Another good filler track but it tends to drag on. A good song nonetheless!
C'Mere: Another brilliant single from the band. This is a great song and is great live.
Length Of Love: Similar structure to Slow Hands but a song that stands on it's own two feet. Needs to be heard. The lyrics are stunning.
A Time To Be So Small: A fantastic outro by Inerpol. Epic.
Overall, i love this album! It is very different (apart from Editors!) and shows a brilliant band in the prime of their careers.
Buy it now!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Sublime
This album is a complete masterpiece.., the depth of musicianship and the dark haunting vocals and incredible deep lyrics makes this for me one of the best albums I have ever heard... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Chris
"Antics" My all time favourite Album
Ive had this classic album in my collection for 7 years now and still listen to it and enjoy it to this day. Read more
Published 5 months ago by P. J. Aston
A True Classic
I had to buy this again as my ex is taking his copy and i can't bear to be without it! a useless review except to say one of the best alternative rock albums in years.
Published 12 months ago by voltyvic
fantastic album
Fantastic album, really, really glad i bought it, turn on the bright lights was great and this one follows suit.
Published 13 months ago by r-l
C'mere
This album is brilliant! It took a couple of plays to grow but has embedded itself on my psyche. If you like editors, if you like brutal solid guitar and vocals like Joy Division,... Read more
Published 21 months ago by will somers
First one was best!
I find this one from Interpol pretty boring, and really not competitive to thei first album... Fine singles, but... weak.
Published 23 months ago by Giorgio Maria Visimberga
The New Evil
Wow. One word to describe this CD. What an album. The tracks are all sung with a dead voice, haunted but this is the persona that is assumed by lead singer Paul Banks. Read more
Published on 1 Jan 2009 by Nina Hall
Dismal, Depressing, Boring album!
I know that a lot of people seem to have loved this album, but I merely bought it as I'd heard good things and thought I'd see what the hype was. I needn't had bothered. Read more
Published on 20 Aug 2008 by Benjamin Scarfe
SIMLPY GENIUS
This is one of the best albums I've heard in years and to my mind the best Interpol have made-for a previous reviewer Thom to give it 1 star is a disgrace-it is an absolute epic... Read more
Published on 24 Jan 2008 by P. Gallagher
passable pastiche (if ur > 35)
Kind of interesting and possibily even fresh and dynamic if you missed the first run. Their best songs sound like the worst songs on Closer sung by Michael Stipe. Read more
Published on 27 July 2007 by P. Addyman
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