Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A future classic, 1 Nov 2008
I'm generally only moved to commit to a review on the basis of being moved or repelled, and this album has done the former to such an extent that it has completely redefined my opinion of Bloc Party in much the same way as it seems to have disappointed ardent fans of Silent Alarm.
When an album comes along that divides opinion so profoundly the one thing you can't accuse it's creators of is resting on their laurels and playing it safe, and obviously the comparisons with Radiohead aren't far behind for any band daring to experiment or change direction, being as they are, arguably, the benchmark by which musical innovation often seems to be judged. From the moment Ares kicks things off to the closing Ulrich Schnauss inspired strains of Ion Sqaure bleeding out of the speakers this album grips without letting go. Tracks like Halo, Trojan Horse, One Month Off & Talons are like a jackhammer to the solar plexis, punchy, tightly executed guitar driven slabs of utter adrenalyn fueled power. Scattered among the high octane riffing of the former are beautifully conceived moments of melancholy such as Biko and Signs, a brace of songs which give this album an extra dimension, the dreamlike glockenspiel and plantive electronic bassline of the latter providing an anchor to Okereke's mournful falsetto vocals.
The deliciously compressed, skittering drum tracks which have found their way onto tracks like Biko & Zephyrus are probably the flashpoints which polarise opinion as they exhibit an overt inclination towards electronic production, but personally speaking it is that fusion on this album which makes it such an exciting experience, being a longstanding fan of IDM, when I hear production elements that wouldn't sound out of place on a boards of Canada, Telefon Tel Aviv or Boats record in a place I'd never expect to hear them it's a thing to savour as it outlines that the most disparate musical genres can work harmoniously together given the right vision, and fear or snobbery toward one or the other limits the musician as much as it does the listener.
What this album does is quite simply entertain which is after all why we listen to music, is it Bloc Party's kid A moment? No I wouldn't say it is because while it's a change of direction it's not particularly innovative but consequently it's hugely accessible whilst by no means being dull or derivative. It seems to me that what Bloc Party have done is make exactly the music they wanted to make, setting aside all other considerations and the result is thrilling, packed with integrity, and destined, I feel, to go down as their finest moment.
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74 of 81 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Review for the Closedminded, 13 Oct 2008
I find many original Bloc Party fans mind-boggling. Bloc Party turns out some of the best, most innovative music of any band these days.
In an era that celebrates terrible artists like Katy Perry and Jon Mayer, we should feel lucky to have a Bloc Party to offer us quality.
The truth is, this album is absolutely excellent. From Silent-Alarm-like songs like "Talons", "Halo" and "Trojan Horse" (three songs produced by original producer Paul Epworth), to excellent and very original songs like "Better Than Heaven", "Ion Square" and "Signs" (a wonderful track featuring a glockenspiel and a mellotron), the album delivers over and over again.
Many people are one-dimensional. They want Bloc Party to look to the past and make "Silent Alarm" over and over and over again. We already have a Silent Alarm, move on. I love Silent Alarm passionately, but let's evolve with the band.
To be fair, I don't care much for the opening track "Ares", a high-powered song obviously made for fans to get crazy at live shows, but the rest of the album is fantastic.
Bloc Party continues to excite... they continue to innovate. You should flat-out ignore these so-called fans who want Bloc Party to have a career consisting of fifteen Silent Alarm albums, and open up your mind and you'll be rewarded. I've been mentioning these songs and have already been excited, and I haven't even mentioned the album's finest track "Biko" yet.
I miss Matt's drums too, but they'll return. I mean, Bloc Party always evolve, they always innovate, and if they continue to make electronic music over and over again, that's stagnation, which Kele openly opposes.
Funny, recently, a few people have marked my review as 'not helpful'. Funny that those very people wrote comments about how it doesn't sound exactly like "Silent Alarm". I rest my case.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top notch!, 3 Nov 2008
Best album to date. Not an easy conclusion to come to, but this doesnt have the one or two weaker tracks that silent alarm had e.g. compliments (WITC is very good, but a bit low-key to compete i think).
At first I thought that 'Ares' was pretty poor, but its really grown on me. It sounds a bit Chemical Brothers and is really high energy.
I really respect the fact they have moved on from what was a very popular and lucrative style and expanded into different styles without losing the plot.
There are songs that will appeal to silent alarm lovers Talons, Halo, Trojan Horse and Zepherus, but even these have a much more electronic sound.
Im trying to pick a standout track, and Halo would be the easy answer on first listen, but the more i listen the more difficult it becomes.
This is an album for the car, the gymn, the bedroom and the party; buy it!
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