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Bloc Party : Intimacy : Review

By greg on May 23, 2012 in Featured Reviews, Tunes with 15 Comments

blocparty 300x225 Bloc Party : Intimacy : Review

After the release “A Weekend In The City,” Bloc Party have followed it up with “Intimacy.” Thankfully, this album recaptures some of the joy that was found on “Silent Alarm.” The opener, “Ares” is rather off putting. The song begins promisingly enough with a very distorted guitar before divulging in a shouty cheerleader-esque rhythm. The song then breaks into a “Blue Light” melody before dissipating completely into an intro for “Mercury.”

The single “Mercury” reminds me somewhat of a David Bowie impersonator trying his hand at jungle, which is fine, if you’re into that sort of thing. To me it’s kind of retro, a bit monotonous and it sounds like album filler/fluff. In retrospect, as much as I did not like “Mercury,” it still sounds a bit more polished than the opener. The track, “Halo” cannot come soon enough. It’s like a respite in a sea of mediocrity. All blustery guitars, this song marks the return to form that Bloc Party so desperately needs. Then comes “Biko”, which I was half suspecting to be a Peter Gabriel cover. Thankfully, it’s not; it is more of a Bloc Party ballad, although it really wouldn’t be out of a place on a Peter Gabriel album. Consider this your robotic, “Blue Light” moment complete with staccato drum machine beats.

The album then picks up again with; “Trojan Horse” which sounds like it could have been a b-side from “Silent Alarm Remixed.” This track features an acidic guitar solo, which definitely benefits the claustrophobic dance beats. The next song, “Signs” is another slower song and features a chiming melody, which proves to be juxtaposition of what you have heard previously. It illustrates a lyric of longing and builds appropriately prepping you for the angry beats of “One Month Off.”

The closers on this album begin with the operatic “Zepherus.” “Zepherus” is oddly out of place after “One Month Off”. Kele sings like he is surrounded by a group of dance floor angels for unrequited love, and it really does not fit well with what preceded it. “Better Than Heaven” follows as a stronger track. The themes of longing and anger seem to be building to a suitable closing. This track also marks the return of much needed guitar to break up the dance beats that have dominated this album. “Ion Square” segues back to familiar territory and winds the album to a close with a melancholy keyboard based melody.

Overall, I applaud Bloc Party for attempting new sounds. I’m also grateful this album is not as maudlin as “A Weekend In The City.” The band sounds reinvigorated, and out of the sophomore slump phase of their career. If I could give this album a grade, I’d say it would be a “B”. Hopefully these songs translate well live, as that is where I would like to see them next.

  • Jon

    Joy was found in Silent Alarm, but only boredom in “Weakend”, Intimacy is at least…interesting, it does not suck, on the Pitchfork scale I would say 7.5, they at least attempt some different territory, even if they are not always successful, it is still better than the breathy drone of the second album, the stand-alone single from earlier in the year Flux should def be on Intimacy, it would have started the album out on the right note. Overall Silent Alarm is still amazing, the shouting anthems are missed, Blue Light is great, but that should not be the formula for every future song.

    Anyway, this album:

    Ares will make for a good remix (“First person singular!”)(MSTRKRFT again please), Mercury is still not a very good song, Halo, One Month Off, and Trojan Horse are the stand-outs and feature the guitar that BP are oh so good at, Biko and Zepherus are yawners, Better Than Heaven and Signs are decent album tracks that could have used better placement on the album, and the closer Ion Square sounds like a techno remix of a Weekend b-side, no thank you.

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  • Greg

    It will be interesting to see what B-Sides appear from the “Intimacy” sessions.

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  • Matt

    Not a bad album. A step up from Weekend, but still without the power of Silent Alarm. I like the exploration of sound. I think they hit it a lot better than Weekend.

    I’ve only given it about 3 listens so far but here’s my summary:

    Great tracks: Ares, Halo, Trojan Horse, Signs, One Month Off.

    Ok tracks: Mercury, Biko, Better than Heaven

    Boring/Not so good tracks: Zepherus, Ion Square.

    I wouldn’t say any of the songs suck, but some are reminiscent of Weekend tracks. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it isn’t a good thing either.

    I like the direction. Good buy.

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  • Andrew

    Does anyone else think “Ares” is a blatant rip-off of “Setting Sun” by The Chemical Brothers? Particularly that opening bit with the synths and the breakbeat drum loop.

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    MIEN KAMPF Reply:
    September 28th, 2008 at 6:44 pm

    the drum beat sounds the same in it. but nothing else…..

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  • Greg

    After listening to Ares again, I would say that you’re spot on, Matt! Good ear.

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  • SKA

    @4

    That was my EXACT first thought… complete Chemical Brothers beat ripoff.

    Shame this album sucks so hard, I had such high hopes for Bloc Party pre-NME hype. Silent Alarm was an amazing album full of promise that just hasn’t been fulfilled since.

    Each following album has progressively sounded more diluted and and like a band lost at sea. The melodies have lost their drive and push in search for a unique sound that even the band themselves don’t seem to understand.

    Bloc Party were at their best on their original self-titled EP and Silent Alarm. The sound was clear and catchy, the lyrics meaningful and rhythmical… they had a definitive sound. This album sounds horrendously diluted and over-produced with no real direction. Which is a shame. I was one of their biggest fans.

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  • Dylan

    I think Bloc Party need to focus on what they do well, and not throw in the kitchen sink when they’re recording an album.

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  • Ken Tagoe

    Think it’s a great album. It has their touches but with slightly different sound.It could be because I like hip hop, drum and bass, grime and other dance music that I’m loving this album.
    Mercury to me was such a banger that I’ve had it on repeat (I felt the same with Positive Tension and The Prayer. The way the tune builds and gets layered over the repeated drum pattern is absolutely first class
    For me it wasn’t such a departure from what they’ve been doing because I’ve identified these beats and melodies with this group, maybe in different proportions but it’s always been there.
    The record might not seem like break up record to some people because it wasn’t meant to sound cliched.
    Andrew is spot on about the Chemical Brothers sound. I would think that they know that it sounds so similar. For me those drums add to the track.

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  • sam couth

    Everyone is using silent alarm and weekend in the city as a benchmark. why? the new album is a beautiful demonstration of creativity and diversity and wipes the floor with any other band that are producing the same tedious beats and unimaginative riffs. To compare intimacy to the previous albums is plain idiocity. Time to wake up and smell the bacon to all the washed up critics who are stuck in the early 00′s. If this album had been released under another band name, then they would surely over promote it. Fact… this IS bloc party and they are back with an exrtavaganza of a new record!

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  • TB

    Agreed. The album sounds phenomenal as a whole, and I applaud Bloc Party not merely for trying new things, but for growing as a band and with their overall sound. On the first listen through this, I was blown away, and I still am. They’re pushing themselves as far as musicianship is concerned, getting some new gritty sounds out of their guitars, and still writing great songs.
    This is Bloc Party, and it is pure ear candy. Love it.

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  • allen

    I wonder if the reason that everyone is using Silent Alarm and A Weekend In the City as reference points for this band is because those are the only other two releases in their catalog? It might have something to do with looking at artistic growth as well. Call me crazy, but it must be the general IDIOCITY of this site. By the way, I don’t know if I want the records I prefer to be an extravaganza.

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  • sam couth

    sorry, IDIOCY… you pedantic bugger! wrote that review at 3 am so was pretty tired. x

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  • Odysseas

    Intimacy is a step forward for Bloc Party. Long or short is forward. I would be deeply dissapoited if i listened to another “Silent Alarm” album, because although it’s great,bloc party, as every band, need to progress and evolute their sound and that’s what they do.

    |For me the experiment has only possitive results!

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