homesickalien0's Full Review: Antics [Slipcase] by Interpol
Perhaps the four men who were the most surprised by the massive success of "Turn on the Bright Lights" were Paul Banks, Carlos D, Sam Fogarino, and Daniel Kessler. I'm not sure how Interpol expected its debut album to be received. It was dark, but not inaccessible. It was (at times) friendly, but not poppy. It was, in a word, amazing. But I somehow believe that the guys of Interpol didn't think so. Banks himself has said it.
So, after the CD went from cult classic to Best Album of 2002 and revitalizer of rock music, what's next?
Enter "Antics."
It's quite obvious from the first 5 seconds of this CD that Interpol did not set out to make "Turn On the Bright Lights Vol. II." And can you blame them? You make a nearly perfect album on the first shot, there's only one way to go, right? But the reason that Interpol beats the dreaded (and, at this point, cliched) Sophomore Slump is because they came to terms with this fact a long time ago. Unlike their New York counterparts The Strokes, Interpol never tried to recreate the magic they found on Bright Lights (For the record, The Strokes' "Room on Fire" is a good album, but not nearly as good as "Is This It.")
Okay, you've decided you want to go in a different direction. But then won't you lose the fans you gained with the first sound? Won't you be accused of selling out? Yes, and yes. Interpol does go in a different direction, but in a way that is palatable to their original fans and even attempts to bring in some new ones.
The reason "Antics" is an amazing CD is the fact that Interpol knew exactly what they were doing when they made it. They probably sat down one day in an office building in NYC and said, "So, what do we want this album to sound like?" And the result is an AMAZINGLY SOLID album. There is not one inconsistency throughout the entire 41 minutes. Interpol is very careful not to overextend itself "Antics," and yet it is different enough from "Bright Lights" that it shouldn't be compared to its predecessor.
Of course, there are elements of "Bright Lights" scattered throughout "Antics," most noticable in the closing track "A Time to Be So Small." Those droning guitar lines and resigned, Stella Was A Diver-esque vocals dominate the song, but for some reason the hope that was buried so far beneath the ground on the debut CD surfaces here. "When the cadaverous mob saves its doors for the dead man, you cannot leave" sounds like it should be a pessimistic moment, but with the orchestration in the background and Banks' crooning vocals, it is a beautifully hopeful way to end the CD.
Speaking of vocals, one of the most striking things I noticed about "Antics" was how personal Paul Banks vocals have become. He is no longer the aviator glasses-wearing mysterious figure of the "PDA" video, he's now the lead singer of an innovative and insightful band that you saw at a club last week. This is especially noticeable in "Evil," where his voice goes through inflections I never knew was possible from this frontman. While after "Bright Lights" you weren't sure who this guy was or what he was talking about, after "Antics" you feel like you know him. "Evil" is an important song as well for this reason: Throughout "Bright Lights" you ache for a major chord. EVERYTHING is resolved in a minor chord, which is probably why the album seems so dark to so many people. "Evil" seems like it is headed down the same path, the synth in the background goes up a progression that produces some very strange chords, and goes all over the place until the very last note, which is a major chord. Maybe this is because I'm a music geek, but that gives me chills. It caught me so off-guard that I had to replay the final chorus 2 or 3 more times to make sure my ears weren't playing tricks on me.
Images of New York are all over the place in this CD. "Narc" is probably the best song musically on the album, and it just feels like it could be the soundtrack of a walk down 53rd St. at night, passing the dim lights of the clubs where Interpol got their start.
"Slow Hands," the first single, is the most accessible song and the one with the best replayability. But it is also a very important song because it shows Interpol is capable of writing something incredibly catchy while continuing to stay true to their roots. The chords in this song are odd, but it all seems to make sense after the chorus, which I see as having an almost disco-esque feeling to it.
I've rambled on enough about the specifics of the CD. "Antics" is an amazing CD, and you need to pick it up regardless of whether or not you liked "Turn On the Bright Lights." Fans will be pleased, people who hated the first album will find something to like, and people who've never heard the band before will be surprised at the accessibility and brains of this operation. Five EASY stars.
Track Listing
1. Next Exit
2. Evil
3. Narc
4. Take You On a Cruise
5. Slow Hands
6. Not Even Jail
7. Public Pervert
8. C'Mere
9. Length of Love
10. A Time to Be So Small
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