Antics

Interpol | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 28, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Matador Records
• ASIN: B0002PD3HU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (351 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,345 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Interpol are often accused of paying more attention to their haircuts than music. But good grooming habits don't always equate hollow souls. The New York band's sophomore album revisits the dark themes of its classic debut, Turn On The Bright Lights, drawing further inspiration from the likes of Joy Division and early Duran Duran. The band sounds more energetic in places ("C'Mere") and infinitely more depressed in others ("Next Exit"). The best songs, however, such as "Evil" and "Slow Hands," not only strike just the right balance but sound totally emotional, mournful, debauched, and ultimately, inevitably life-affirming. --Aidin Vaziri

Product Description

The follow-up to their mega-successful debut is no less brooding and intense, but charged with flashes of color and romance. "Antics" infuses Interpol's dark musical landscapes with new optimism.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Up to new "Antics", October 4, 2004

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Antics (Audio CD)

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.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'm sorry, what?, December 4, 2004

By 

Derek Clayton "tom clayton using dad's credit... (Bath, England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Antics (Audio CD)

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.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An expansion and amplification of "Slow Hands"..., February 24, 2005

By 

M J Heilbron Jr. "Dr. Mo" (Long Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Antics (Audio CD)

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.