The Geek (Matt Tong, drums), the Gay (Kele Okereke, lead vocals and guitar), the Goth (Russell Lissack, lead guitar) and Gordon Moakes (bass and vocals, has no discernable features beginning with G) will later this month release the new album ‘Four’.
Bloc Party are back.
It’s been a long four years for Bloc Party fans. Waiting, wearing their party hats and soviet star t-shirts. Then there was the taster single for the album 'Octopus' followed by 'Day Four' not bad tunes at all but like yeast in the butchers they raised the stakes for the album.
So what’s changed since previous album ‘Intimacy’? Well time for the members to develop while working on other projects, a look back at the direction the Party has been taking and a move away from the Electro sound. Add to this producer Alex Newport, a force to be reckoned with in alternative music and who has done his technical wizardry for Death Cab for Cutie, At the Drive in and Frank Turner (for more examples please see Google). In the first half of this year he worked with Bloc Party across the pond in New York and is said to be someone who takes a more 'old school' approach, has a slight loathing of computers and doesn’t include auto-tune in his work. This however seems to work with the Bloc Party move away from more dance music influenced and keyboard driven songs to an album which is almost a big brother of Silent Alarm, a more observant and grown up sound but still the same raw anger and dissatisfied undercurrent staying on as a family trait.
With that in mind I guess it’s time to take a look at the album but in case, like me, you are feeling a little bit of an Olympics hangover, don’t worry! I have given each of the songs a virtual medal in the event they would most likely be competing in, so we don’t get too confused by this music after our only media consumption having been sport for a fortnight.
So He Begins to Lie
It’s nice that Bloc Party have dedicated one of their songs to Rupert Murdoch (who for legal reasons definitely doesn’t know how to lie. Unless that is a lie). The piece is a good indicator for the rest of the album, guitar and bass which are giving more than a nod to heavier rock and the overdrive effect. Then there are the trademark disenfranchised and sometimes delicate lyrics ringing out, set to drums which make every hit count and do things with pedals Wiggins could only dream of. However because it’s about dishonesty this song receives the badminton medal for cheating and as such should be disqualified from the album.
3X3
A fantastically creepy song “no one loves you as much as us/it takes love to be pure/no means no…” Kele carries this one with his whispering gravelly verses playing off against the belted out both barrels choruses. This track gets the pole vault medal for contrasting ups and downs.
Octopus
You may well have encountered this track, nicknamed ‘Bloctopus’ and the first single off the album. It seems to be the pop piece and manages to mix both the dance and indie elements of Bloc Party into a beautiful cake of a record. Some have speculated that the name Octopus arose because Bloc Party have in total eight arms and will squirt ink at you when threatened. True or not this track has enough pace and urgency to win the 100 meters sprint medal, even if it would do so in a time of just over three minutes.
Real Talk
This tune slows down the pace of the album a little and seems to echo the previous equally soulful and open ditty 'I Still Remember'. Now I wouldn’t have had them down as a Bloc Party influence but 'Real Talk' contains some Mumford and Sons-esque banjo-ey strings in the middle. I realise writing it that this may sound a lot like a lie, but buy the song and take a listen, it’s in there, and does seem to work. After this the end of the piece sees a king of the hill fight between voice and guitar for the highest note, and is really quite beautiful. Therefore it receives the medal in artistic gymnastics; Bloc party may now only ever perform this song whilst wearing leotards.
Kettling
Not a song about how to make a nice cup of teaing, now I'm no musicologist but this number “We smash the windows/Popo don’t f**k around” might be somewhat influenced by last summers riots. The guitar overdrive gets ramped up a notch as it wails like a siren and the bass drum, hi-hat and flat snare pound away to give some urgency. This year London is nothing like the riot stricken city it was, the only shops being emptied are the ones selling I love London tat. But this tune does seem to capture some of the mood from last summer. Shot-put best represents the medal for this song, a kick of angry energy.
Day Four
The second single from ‘Four’ takes that Bloc Party sound where parts are subtly faded up and down to change the dynamic of the song and with the inclusion a few more of the operatic strings and keys it send shivers down the spine. The production values really come into play here as the vocals, carrying a slight wavering echo are draped over the soft guitars and clipped drums. The song wins the Sailing medal as it navigates to catch the best of all of the instruments sounding not unlike a particularly poetic wind chime.
Coliseum
Ok, so on from the Mumford and Sons reference would you believe that there was some 'Ain’t no rest for the wicked' style slide guitar to kick this song off? Well there is. Then things get a bit meataly, a heavy riff which will be your earworm for weeks and lots of open cymbals plus some distorted vocals make a short number which is currently my favourite on the album. This rush of a song can only be affiliated with kayak slalom; fast, slightly ridiculous and you should probably wear a helmet.
V.A.L.I.S
More catchy than a cold from big sneeze in a small lift. The pin point picked riff along with the up tempo drums (including a lovely clap snare effect) create a verse into which the syllables of the lyrics slot into like a well played game of Tetris. Beach volleyball can be the only medal for this tune, enjoyable and a bit lighter hearted than most of the rest of the album.
Team A
Not to be confused with ‘A-team’, Ed Sheeran’s celebration of the 1980s television action comedy. Drummer Matt Tong and Guitarist Russell Lissack kick this one off in style with sinister lyrics and bass so chunky it would have a BMI in the 40s. A song which is also an extended threat, “snitches get stitches” for anyone unfamiliar does not refer to a clothes repair service offered for those who help the police. A frantic number very much in the 'Helicopter' vein of Bloc Party tunes. This song gets the water polo medal for being surprisingly vicious.
Truth
Another one to raise goose bumps. Kele and Gordon having an excellent warble up in the high notes, but sad to say for my money not the best effort on the album. Wins the shooting medal, fun at first but can get a bit boring.
The Healing
A gear shift down, you can feel the pain in this one. An onion of a song, with layers being built up and stripped down and a chilling classical strings break before Kele’s final effort to crack glass. There’s a deep resonance in that high frequency for the last lyric “you will heal”. Synchronised swimming is the medal for The Healing; everything seems to mesh together perfectly.
We Are Not Good People
Compared to the previous track this is a foot slammed on the accelerator song, a volcano, a bouncy castle filled with over sugared children and a hell of a way to end the album. Punky, spiky and utterly irresistible when the chorus comes in. The track may claim they’re not good people but this is an explosion of more than good musicianship with an awesome crescendo up to the crash hit which ends the album. We Are Not Good People wins the Judo medal, because it’ll throw you.
‘Four’ is out on the 20th of August with ‘Octopus’ and ‘Day Four’ available to buy now.
Fri October 12th 2012 - O2 Academy Newcastle
Sat October 13th 2012 - O2 Academy Leeds
Sun October 14th 2012 - O2 Academy Glasgow
Mon October 15th 2012 - O2 Academy Birmingham
Wed October 17th 2012 - Guildhall, Southampton
Thu October 18th 2012 - O2 Academy Bristol
Fri October 19th 2012 - Warehouse Project, Manchester
Sat October 20th 2012 - Corn Exchange, Cambridge
Fri February 22nd 2013 - Earls Court, London
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Bloc Party are back.
