whocares13345's Full Review: Antics [Slipcase] by Interpol
Interpol has been one of my favorite bands since i first heard they're debut album, Turn On The Bright Lights. That was an excellent album, very dark and slightly claustrophobic, with clang-y guitars, awesome drumming, and the strange but amazing voice of singer/guitarist Paul Banks. Antics one-ups that album. They've changed their style slightly, with a few brighter sounding tracks, and a more open sound. This is definately one of my favorite albums of the year so far.
Next Exit is the opening track which starts with a sustained keyboard intro, and then the rest of the instruments come in, to start a slow, but fairly bright-sounding song. The bass (played by Carlos D) bounces in the background while the guitar (Daniel Kessler) screams sustained notes, and Banks sings about going somewhere. A good opening song for this album, Next Exit is pretty good. "We ain't going to the town, we're going to the city."
Evil is the second track, and definately the best one on the album. Starting with an awesome, quiet bass-line, Banks comes in quietly and slowly. Then Sam Fogarino comes in on drums and banks speeds up his singing. This seems to be in a major key for the most part. The guitar's come in with high-pitched chords, and then, the chorus starts. Darker than the rest of the song, this is one of my favorite parts. Banks is not the greatest of songwriters, and often his lyrics, while trying to be emotional, make you laugh. They're quirky, but fun. "It took a life spent with no cell mate, the long way back, Sandy, why can't we look the other way?"
NARC starts with an awesome guitar line, and then the dub-like bassline comes in, along with Banks singing in a low, fairly emotionless voice. Then for the chorus, he starts bringing in the brightness of this album. This song, even though slightly slow and quiet, makes you want to dance, one of the few Interpol songs like this. It's another of my favorites from the album. "But baby you can see that the gazing eye won't lie, don't give up your lover tonight."
Take You On A Cruise opens with long notes from the guitar and then some chopped chords, accompanied by bass and vocals. It has a nice beat to it and is slightly darker than the previous songs. This one doesn't have a really definable chorus, but the melody is truely haunting. The bass is beautiful, and much more prominent and interesting than on the last album. This is a pretty classic Interpol song, and a good one at that. "Never see a finer ship, or recieve a better tip in your life..."
Slow Hands, the first single off the album, is another definite favorite. At a fastish pace, Banks sings a fairly repetitive melody during the verses, but then once the chorus hits, the beat pulses, and he brings in some true melody. The guitar and bass follow eachother for the most part. This song is really fun, and worth many listens. "Can't you see what you've done to my heart? And so, this is a wasteland now."
Not Even Jail, is a long emotional song, which happens to be another favorite. Not that slow, or dark, it's a very pleasent song. It makes you want to sing along. The melody is great and the bass and guitar are pretty classic Interpol, along with the great drumming by Fogarino. The verses are beautiful, and they make me want to hug someone. The beauty of this song is undeniable. "I'll subtract pain by ounces, yeah I will stop painting ounces, if things come alive."
Public Pervert easily has the best title on the album. Unfortunately, the quality doesn't quite live up to that standard. It's a good song, but not great. The chorus is definately the best part, with dark lyrics and melodies, and harsh guitars and drumming. The bass, when audible is really nice. "Through many starry nights, may our bodies remain."
C'mere, is another brightish song, and like the rest of them, I don't really know what it's about. It's fun and pretty, but not excellent. It's a basic song with a basic melody. Pretty classic interpol, but brighter. "It's too late, to be this locked inside ourselves. The problem is, that you're in love with someone else. It should be me."
Length Of Love sounds dark at the beginning, but then gets brighter (slightly). The guitars are pretty monotonous, but the melody of the song balances that out. It's a fairly good song, but again not great. I like the melody, and the lyrics are pretty good. That's all there is to say about this song. "This could be destiny. Oh sweet heart, I've had no sense of time since we started."
A Time To Be So Small is a beautiful song with beautiful guitars and nice melodies. Nice, dark, lyrics make this song a very "interpolesque" one, but that's a good thing. The bass is fairly boring, and not much else can be said about the song. I really like it quite a bit, but not for many intricate reasons. "Boy appearing on the deck, making it lurch, God will love your interests, ready to burst."
And that's the album. An amazing one, that completely beats the sophomore slump. Buy it, or listen to it by any means possible.
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