Cons: Some people might think they are derivative...
The Bottom Line: Silent Alarm is an appealing album with an interesting take on old ideas about rock and roll. It's hard not to like Bloc Party's lovely debut.
lambchops's Full Review: Silent Alarm [PA] by Bloc Party
The scene changes as I put the album on the stereo. My fingernails are painted black, my hair colored black. I look in the mirror; black eyeliner is drawn around my blue eyes from an invisible kohl pencil. I’m drawn from this magical place by a tune. It’s ethereal and strange but also oddly familiar. It is to a comfortable place that I am transported by the angular songs.
My world shifts on its axis and I am transported to 1993. Wearing a flannel shirt and classic Doc Martens, my hair hangs around my shoulders in unkempt waves. The same sounds then begin to flow from out an unseen speaker. My head sways and my heavy-soled feel stomp. So familiar yet so different, the music isn’t exactly rock nor is it old-school. It’s something new and unexpected.
There is indeed a point to the words I’ve written above. It is simple. Bloc Party would have fit just as perfectly twenty or ten years ago as it does in 2005. They are part of a new musical trend that melds old and new elements together into pointed, tidy little packages that will appeal to a wide variety of listeners. In the case of Bloc Party, their influences are obvious. Take even parts Pixies, The Cure, and Joy Division. Blend evenly. Toss in a dash of Suede (or Pulp) and you’ve got Bloc Party’s winning recipe for Silent Alarm.
By its very nature, 2005’s Silent Alarm is derivative. The band derives inspiration from common and well-known sources and creates something sparkly and new and rousing out of the experiment. Kele Okereke (singer/guitarist), Russell Lissack (guitar), Gordon Moakes (bass), and Matt Tong (drums) came together in the early part of this decade. Using the name Union they shopped around a demo and eventually got a break when they were invited by Franz Ferdinand to perform at the Domino Tenth Anniversary Bash. They released an EP during the summer of 2004 and in early 2005 Silent Alarm hit shelves.
The first thing I noticed about the album was that it was not to like. The chunky, sparse, choppy guitars that intro Like Eating Glass are what drew me in but Okereke’s vocals are appealing in their boyish British punk way. I’m compelled to listen to the songs and anxious to gluttonously take in more. As I let myself absorb the songs, I was initially moved by the upbeat garage-meets-new wave direction. However the tiniest bit of examination turned the fact that many of the songs are actually politically motivated. It’s not uncommon for me to be annoyed by these things, but in the case of Bloc Party it’s not the centerpiece of their songs. The voice, the guitars, the drums, the bass, the melody—this is where focus should be.
She’s Hearing Voices is a strange, mechanical, and entirely different song. Along with Helicopter, Positive Tension, Banquet, This Modern Love, and the ethereal So Here We Are there is enough material on Silent Alarm to quench my thirst. So Here We Are strikes me as the best, but that could be because it differs so much from the others. Where Helicopter is immediate and hip, So Here We Are is rich and thoughtful. I can’t help but be drawn this momentary change. Patience proves rewarding in the case of So Here We Are. The rest of the album requires little energy to enjoy (outside of that required to dance like a maniac in the bedroom mirror).
Each of my remaining favorites captures my imagination for a different reason. Helicopter starts off with a bang with one of the most memorable riffs on the entire album. Speaking of remembering, Positive Tension also is a remarkable song with at first just a bass guitar followed by percussion and then guitar. I really do like the way the different elements unfold in stages—it reminds me of the way Silent Alarm happens for me. This Modern Love also ranks among the best—Okereke channels Frank Black in the verses with his buoyant and choppy singing/shouting style.
Of course I adore those four I just mentioned but the most striking overall song is Banquet. Okereke uses the same style as on This Modern Love but instead of coming off as something from the early 90s or late 80s the period that is represented is the early eighties ala The Cure/Dead or Alive/Culture Club. It’s dramatic, wild, and dark all at the same time. I’m left wondering how in the world it is possible that anybody could dislike Bloc Party.
Silent Alarm is a very good album. I think the band has room to grow to be more individually creative rather than pulling entirely from their influences, but as it stands this is a near perfect album that most people already fond of the whole retro-rock-pop-groove movement. One last thing…these guys can write. Check it out:
And you didn't even notice
When the sky turned blue
And you couldn't tell the difference
Between me and you
And I nearly didn't notice
The gentlest feeling
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Like Eating Glass
02. Helicopter
03. Positive Tension
04. Banquet
05. Blue Light
06. She’s Hearing Voices
07. This Modern Love
08. Pioneers
09. Price of Gas
10. Little Thoughts
11. So Here We Are
12. Luno
13. Plans
14. Compliments
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