Bloc Party
The Bloc Party story begins at the Reading Festival where singer/guitarist Kele Okereke and guitarist Russell Lissack were introduced through mutual friends. Bassist/singer Gordon Moakes and drummer Matt Tong were soon added with the group operating under the names Angel Range, and later, Union. They cut a demo in '03 before renaming themselves Bloc Party. Concerts gained a fair amount of notoriety but they really scored when Okereke sent a demo to Franz Ferdinand who had Bloc Party open for them at the Domino Tenth Anniversary party. From there Block Party went the indie route releasing a couple singles on different labels before producing a full-length self-titled effort in '04. It was followed, a year later, by "Silent Alarm."
Bloc Party unfurled their 11-track "Weekend In The City," featuring lead single, "The Prayer," in early '07. Recorded in Ireland, at Lodge Studios, the album was inspired by Okereke's interest in 'the living noise of a metropolis' or the extremes, both good and bad, of life in a city.
Bloc Party scheduled "Intimacy," with the lead single "Mercury," for release in late '08. Okereke stated that the album had the "rawness" of "Silent Alarm," but the "experience" of "A Weekend In The City."
An online promotion of the single created a bit of controversy - and not the good kind. "Mercury" was slated for exclusive broadcast on Zane Lowe's BBC's Radio One show. Keeping his enthusiasm muted and limiting any hyperbole Lowe called the song the "hottest track in the world." So far so good.
A countdown timer replaced the band's website for three days prior the broadcast leaving fans with the impression new music was going to be distributed online at the countdown's conclusion. When that didn't happen, some expressed anger and disappoint over what was seen as a publicity stunt. Eventually, the album was available for download prior to the CD's release.
Despite the buzz, "Mercury" is not the ""hottest track in the world." It's not even the best track on "Intimacy." The Dance-Rock song is eclipsed by the uptempo guitar driven "Talons," "Halo" and "Letter To My Son." "Trojan Horse" is another keeper as it runs up against the walls of its own groove.
The slower material tends to drift, taking too long to get going, or has to battle the surrounding din.
On "Silent Alarm," Bloc Party connects with slashing guitars and strong vocals ("Helicopter" and "Banquet"). But their Punk flavored romps alternate with dreamy, '80s influenced tracks. "Blue Lights" is slow and wistful and "So Here We Are" features breathy vocals (a Bloc Party trait). Not surprisingly, Bloc Party are far more entertaining as Punk revivalists than as a Wave band.
Opington is south of London. And if it weren't for the Broomwitch Pub it would probably be the most boring place on earth. "Weekend In The City" sounds like Okereke is singing about being stuck in that dreary locale rather spending time in a fun place like London, L.A. , New York or even Paris.
The album starts far better than it ends. The opening track, "Song For Clay (Disappear Here) is a slow-to-fast guitar song. "Hunting For Witches" features a tight riff and heartfelt vocals. There's the sparse, Wave sounding "Waiting For The 7:18 " and the dramatic "The Prayer." So far, so good. But here, the album inexplicably falls off the table. The next four songs are slow, meandering pieces with delicate guitar lines and more introspective, intimate vocals. It's rather boring. "I Still Remember," a solid pop song, revives things a bit.
Bloc Party's self-titled debut contains "Staying Fat" which was their first song to make a dent. The set also contains a couple tracks that appear on "Silent Alarm."