Customer Reviews

ANTICS [Vinyl]

5 star:		(149)
4 star:		(83)
3 star:		(33)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(61)

 

 

Whether you love or hate Interpol's second album "Antics" depends on how you felt about "Turn On The Bright Lights." If you liked their debut, chances are you'll like this one too. With their polished sound, Interpol rose to prominance above most of their New York rawk cousins (except the Strokes), and "Antics" gets to expand their sound further.

Too often Interpol is fingered as a mere Joy Division imitator -- especially since the music is good, but hardly genius-level. Maybe it's those accusations that gives "Antics" a slightly wounded, tired feel. The songs aren't quite as much of a jolt as songs like "NYC," but the heavier, darker feel is just as powerful... if not more so.

"Next Exit" is a bit of a jolt, with its slow organ and solid percussion. There's a gritty Pixies feel to "Evil," with its smashing bassline, the funky pop of "Length of Love," and a sort of vague nautical theme to songs like "Take you on a Cruise," with its cries of "[Insert color here] temptress of the sea, you treat me right."

Musically it's bouncier and more upbeat at times. There are solid melodies, angular guitars, and a sound that is far more expansive than what they've done before. Previously it sounded like Interpol was reining in their music a little. But with the pressure of a new album, they seem to have let rip with their expressive, complex melodies.

Paul Banks sounds resigned to the emotions churned up in "Antics." But he really sounds good, especially when he's anguished. And it's a good thing that he does such a stellar job, because the lyrics can border on cringeworthy. "Complex salacious removal"? "The pole dance of the stars"? It's either brilliant, or terrible -- either way, only a good band could have lines that that, and still have fans.

While the lyrics are kind of iffy, the music and "vibe" of "Antics" is a sign that Interpol might be on a lot of "Best of 2004" lists by the end of the year. Solid, moody and very listenable.

maybe it's because I'm british, but i don't quite understand why the reviewers on here seem intent on a) Citing Interpol as derivative and b) Giving them 1 star. Pompous, self absorbed dross like (insert throaty American grunge-lite here)deserves 1 star. Many reviews compare this band to joy Division, a similarity that I really don't see - Joy Division specialise in taut post-punk whereas Interpol weave a disparate, widescreen gloom - and the difference between the lyrical content is huge.
yes, 'antics' represents a slight dip in the songwriting quality of this band, but only in comparison to their near-perfect debut, 'turn on the bright lights'. that album's murky sense of despair is never quite recreated here- much to my bemusement- but is replaced by oppressive, elliptical song structures and crisp production that places vocals prominently in the mix and tones down the reverb on the guitars a little. The drumming has definitely improved- see 'Slow Hands' ; 'Public Pervert'- and Paul Banks' voice sounds at home in it's new environment, soaring majestically on 'Evil' and 'Take you on a cruise'.
True, this album sounds more like a collection of singles rather than a cohesive body of work... but that is impressive in itself, as you would be hard pushed to name single material on their previous effort. this shows that interpol have moved forward as a band, daring their fans to move with them. it's likely they would have been mauled further had they kept the formula (see 'Room on Fire' by The Strokes), but I get the feeling that interpol aren't really interested in criticism anyway: they're interested in finding new and inventive things to do with a singer, guitarist, bassist and drummer. and you will find, eventually, that their dense, unpredictable songs come pretty close to achieving this - and do so by borrowing less from the past than any other band right now.

So, let's say you are familiar with the single, "Slow Hands".
Let's assume you like it, with it's oh-so-80's sound, propulsive rhythms, chugging guitars and braying vocals. I think it has a great sound, and despite having a limited range, a catchy melody.
It doesn't take you back to that era per se; it makes you remember what was great about that type of music.

Interpol has a signature sound, and the single "Slow Hands" is a perfect introduction to it. The album expands on that sound, exploring textures and tempos while never really straying too far away from that recipe of ringing, chiming guitars, those out-in-front drums, sinuous bass lines and the small but expressive vocal range of the lead singer.

The album sequencing is well done...the opening song sounds like an opening song, and the final song closes down your experience nicely. This is a lost art nowadays...

I love the fact that it sounds organic; it sounds like a "band". They mesh perfectly.

This is a terrific listening experience for those willing to try something they may not normally check out. Of "this type" of music, this is probably as good as it gets.

Yes... I bought this album, and when I read some of these posts, I went to the record store and bought the Joy Division "Substance" compilation. The song "Slow Hand" is very much like "Love Will Tear Us Apart". The way they edit the sample on Amazon, you won't notice it, because its the 3 seconds of the song that is original.

Lots of bands are not originiasl, but Interpop make me feel good. Who cane debut that?

Interpol's debut album "Turn On the Bright Lights" was a superlative homage to early eighties alterna-pop. Borrowing heavily from Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Smiths, it established them as one of the most promising bands around.

"Antics" makes good on this promise, even if it subtly departs from the overall sound and mood that defined their first album. Upon further listening, these differences show themselves as growth in terms of performance, production and songwriting and the results are very satisfying.

Within the first few minutes, you notice that Paul's vocals have been freed of the bottomless well of reverb that ran throughout "Turn On. . .". What used to sound like a soulless Ian Curtis drone now has more feeling and a very unique tone all its own. The songs themselves break out of their original mold as well - "No Exit" is almost a light tune, whereas other tracks such as "Public Pervert" and "Take You On a Cruise" are melodic to the point of being romantic. Those who can't get past this subtly new sound will still find Interpol's trademark angular new wave on a few tracks such as the first single "Slow Hands" and "Evil". These tracks were showcased during the band's performances on this past Summer's Curiosa festival and held up very well with the older material.

"Antics" shows that Interpol is one of the few bands out there today who know how to stay focused on a particular sound and grow within that sound without becoming self-derivative. My only fault with the album is that it isn't five discs long.

More people should listen to Fugazi.
Oh wait! This a review for Interpols new album. Yeah. Its kinda boring. Lacks a good track mix and definitely is not as good as their first and amazing album, Turn On The Bright Lights. The Joy Division thing is getting old. On the first album the singers voice did sound alot like Ian Curtis. Albeit without the pain and suffering behind Curtis's voice. The music on the other hand, did not and does not sound all that much like Joy Division. Anyways, this CD is boring. Its got some good tracks, like "Slow Hands" that would've felt very at home on the first CD. But i have tried many times to get into this and I just can't. The music sounds much more like Gang Of Four (which is a good thing, but nothing new at this point 30 years later) than other comparisons. Choppy chunky disco basslines and post rock guitars. Songs about love and alienation. Oh yeah, Listen to Fugazi! jeez, dont you ever want to hear something new? So, to all the HIGH SCHOOL KIDS: this is post punk. Not new to many of us, but maybe new to you. Its good, enjoy it, But search further and seek out Fugazi and their label mates (any of them, Q and Not U, Smart Went Crazy, Nation Of Ulysses) and you will be doing yourself a great justice by expanding your musical horizons. And if you need to find all the good stuff that preceded this, find New Order, A Certain Ratio, ESG, and Gang of Four. They still sound new by todays standards.

EDIT TWO YEARS LATER!

I LOVE THIS ALBUM! IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GROW ON ME. AS IS THE CASE WITH SOME OTHER ALBUMS THAT TOOK TIME TO GROW ON ME, IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ALBUMS IN A HUGE COLLECTION OF RECORDS THAT I OWN! IT HAS MADE ME LIKE INTERPOL EVEN MORE, IT IS AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER AT TIMES THEN THE DEBUT ALBUM. I TRULY LOVE EVERY SONG AND I EAGERLY ANTICIPATE THEIR NEXT RECORDING. SORRY FOR THE SCATHING PREVIOUS REVIEW!

First Interpol record was incredible. Antics now is not good compared to first. I have new Interpol for now almost 4 months. The design of songs on new record not so evolving. But songs are sometimes release like Evil and Length of Love. No Cure or Smiths sound, Interpol sound otherwise. The live show serious wild and good times. Not so much Antics some and Bright Lights yes.

As some reviewers correctly point out, this album will inevitably draw comparisons with Interpol's "Turn On The Bright Lights" debut. That debut was a strong multi-influenced album with great strokes of creativity, a refreshing surprise in the stagnating rock world.

I consider the whole line of arguments about Interpol "copying" former 80s legend-bands utter rubbish. It would have whatever merit if it were possible to still sound original nowadays whilst making rock music. I'm not saying it's impossible but it surely is extremely difficult.

Starting from there, it was a sure bet that Interpol's influences would surface again in their second album. As with their debut, the only question that remained was "will the result match their first effort". In other words, it was, and will still be by the time Interpol release their next album, whether Interpol can blend their heavily respected influences into a mix that captivates as they did in the past.

My verdict is that this time around the formula hasn't worked. While "Antics" is by no means a bad album, it certainly is no "Turn on the bright lights". In fact it's quite a fall on the inspiration barometer. It's tricky to try and pinpoint what's missing here, or to be more precise, to try and put it into words, but my feeling is that the missing element is the dark intensity that was masterfully distributed in their debut.

The songs found here tend more to slow tempo (or ballads if the temrs suits you better) and less to faster clear cut rock songs. All of them can be easily and pleasantly "consumed" but without the after effect Interpol's previous songs had. You listen to them, and with the exception of 2 maybe 3 songs, you dont have the feeling you've heard something markedly great. But you know all too well that the quality is still there.

Interpol gained a horde of fans 2 years ago with their debut and i assume a lot of the overhyped positive reviews about this album have to do more with defending the group's reputation from a fan point of view rather than the quality of "Antics".

As it is, Interpol remain a very interesting group to keep an ear out for. This was after all the "difficult second album". I expect them to jump back to their original levels of creativity when the third time comes around.

I am a fan of TOTBL and I recently bought "Antics". I have also attended 2 Interpol concerts, seen their videos, and appearances on late night talk shows.

The music on "Antics" does offer a bit less than TOTBL. But this band has never been about music for me. They offer a sort of mod style that I enjoy. Some people enjoy seeing a group of attractive men who have style. I also enjoy the contemporary art that graces their album covers. The new Spaces posters, with Andy-Worhol-esque charicatures of the band are also great.

There is more to music than just the music. Look at any successful band, and you'll see choreography and style. They may not be the best and most creative musicians, but I know that. They still give me a warm feeling, and that's all that matters.

Since the music on "Antics" isn't that great, I only gave them 2 stars. But I will continue to see them peform live and on televised events. This is a band that is going places, and I'm glad I started listening to them way back when...

3.5
totbl (gets 4.75)

ok guys and gals, had to listen to it 11 times all the way through, i'm finally ready to write this. multiple listens will allow this set of songs to grow on you, but not nearly as much as totbl will attach itself to your brain and refuse to let go...

here are my thoughts:

-good, not great...

-music more simplistic than totbl (just not as intense)

-chorus music on public pervert is very good, but it should be the verse music and they should have come up with something even better for the chorus music.

-lyrics not as deep as totbl, maybe they are, but they don't "feel" as deep

-music interplay between instruments not as good as on totbl (the multiple guitars, bass, drums/symbols and very minor keyboard on totbl were so good it was hard to believe)

-first 7 songs are all high-quality and last 3 songs = complete garbage.

-vocalist has been lifted of the fear/uncertainty/gloom in his voice that was so prominent on totbl. i consider this a bad thing personally (in most cases). like some professional reviews says, its the blues without playing them...silly.

-drums have been SEVERELY castrated and put on the backburner, especially in comparison to totbal (they were right at the heart of totbl.)

-bass castrated also, though not as much as the drums (except on "Evil" when the bass is key)

-songs more repetive (not as linear) as totbl. the linear yet somehow catchy songs on totbl blow my mind...

-narc and not even jail sound too much alike...also when he sings the actual words "not even jail" it is like a letdown to the big build-up, not a big let down, but it coulda been so much better.

-the rawness of totbl just isn't there.

-it appears studio had much much more to do with this album. but who knows.

-i suppose a little success would eliminate some of their dark side or gloom and it shows in this album

-the chimey simplistic, yet complex guitar chord repetition is not as prevalent as it was on totbl.

-by itself antics is a good album overall and something that a rock fan will enjoy, if you're too pretentious and are stuck in the 80's or if it makes you too mad that it isn't AS good as totbl (not much is) then you won't enjoy it.