Customer Reviews

Interpol

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Interpol is not a band that grabs you instantly. You have to spend some time with them to get the full impact of their music. Their songs unfold slowly. I'm afraid that in this era of collective ADD, no one will give this one the time it needs to reveal itself. "Interpol" is not a collection of singles. It is a concept album meant to be experienced from beginning to end. In interviews promoting this album, the band has said that this follows a relationship as it disintegrates. The pleading, the bargaining, the anger, the hurt & finally, acceptance. It's all here & it's a haunting & emotional ride. Listen, with a good pair of headphones, from beginning to end, multiple times. You'll be rewarded.

I'm pretty cynical about music fans who protest that their favourite band's album is a Grower that needs ten or so listens to fully "get". For me, "grower" often means "this album's bad but the fans won't admit it". And after listening to this album a couple of times and just not getting into it, I felt my fellow Interpol fans were in denial again. I actually had my two star "They've Blown It" review ready to go. But I didn't want to give up on Interpol, and it did take a while for me to get OLTA, so I decided to give it a few more spins. And then something just clicked. I'd catch myself humming and singing songs I'd dismissed as boring or generic, and I suddenly got where those experimental tracks were coming from. Believe the fans, 'Interpol' is a true grower; easy to dismiss as mediocre or unfocussed on first listen, but it will reward you if you put the work in.

First things first: what's the album sound like? We heard comments that it would be a return to the sound of 'Bright Lights', and others that it would be full of orchestral epics even more ambitious than 'Our Love'. The answer is that it's a bit of both, and this is where the "grower" part comes in. 'Interpol' is as dark and difficult as their debut, but it's dressed up in the same heavy production and instrumentation that characterised OLTA. So whereas 'Bright Lights' was raw and intimate, 'Interpol' requires a fair effort to dig out those riffs, melodies, and hooks. Don't be fooled by 'Barricade' into thinking this is full of radio-friendly pop gems, there's very little here that is instantly accessible or an easy listen.

'Interpol' basically follows the formula of OLTA by having half the songs follow the standard Interpol sound, and half pushing in ambitious new directions. In fact, it sometimes sounds like two different albums, since all the boundary-pushing songs come toward the end of the album. In the first half, 'Barricade' is an obvious single, even more poppy than 'Heinrich Maneuver', and really the only immediate song on the album. The guitar-driven slow-build of 'Lights' and the more familiar 'Success' and 'Summer Well' will reveal their secrets more gradually; give the first half a few spins and you'll realise these are four strong, memorable, Interpol songs. 'Success' in particular I'd initially thought was a very mediocre song and weak opener, now it's one of my all-time favourite Interpol tracks. It's that sort of album.

The second half is much more daring, with those keyboards and strings really kicking in. Only 'Safe Without' is recognisably Interpol, and even that is given hints of funk, even hip-hop, with that tribal backing drumbeat and hypnotic guitar riff. Fans seem to dislike this song, but for me it's one of the album's highlights. 'The Undoing' is another favourite, an epic hymn-like closer with mournful minor key organ, brass, and Spanish lyrics. 'All Of The Ways' reminds me a lot of 'The Lighthouse' with its sheets of shimmering guitars, while 'Try It On' is driven by a spiralling piano riff and burbling background electronics. It's a decidedly un-Interpol sound, but for the most part the band pulls it off. Again, you need to put in some serious listening, but those who liked 'Wrecking Ball' or 'The Lighthouse' will appreciate the band continuing to branch out and try new things (and generally succeeding).

It's not a perfect album; fans seem to be raving about 'Memory Serves', which doesn't do much for me, but for the most part it's a brave, bold effort from a band that many people have pigeon-holed. Sure, everyone wants them to make 'Bright Lights 2', but Interpol continue to show how willing they are to push the envelope and expand their sound. Casual listeners and those expecting an album full of 'Barricade'-like hits will probably be disappointed; this is an album that will reward those die-hard Interpol fans who are prepared to give this the effort it deserves.

Four stars.

I've closely followed and loved Interpol's early music since '02-'03. I really don't know why Paul and the gang are so uninspired. It seems they possibly tried to regain their "Indie cred" by going back to Matador for their latest self-titled release, but the album falls flat, fairly badly. Songs go nowhere, most of them are paced very slowly with Paul's purposefully cryptic lyrics, but now, they're all about girls and relationship drama(targeting emo teens?). Maybe it was the super model girlfriend? (ugh, cmon) I don't know, but I suppose there's a reason Carlos left the band after recording this...he knew the music was bad and that their light had apparently gone out, starting with OLTA, which was a better album actually in my opinion (and isn't saying a whole lot ultimately).

In fact many of these songs sound like rejects from the "Julian Plenti" album, sans one or two tracks. There isn't even a song nearly as good as "Games For Days" on here. The songs seem half-baked and uninspired. I can't even go into them as they are almost all so utterly dull.

I quite literally had to, for the first time with their music, force myself through their new album, and I had already heard/owned "Lights" and "Barricade" (and they gave me the "oh boy this is going to be a bummer album" feeling immediately). The songs, again, go nowhere, seem uninspired, and are just plain boring, to sum it up.

I don't know what else to say, so I shortened this review, there's no point in knocking someone when they're down. Time for solo projects and shoot-off bands guys.

Well, someone must not have been happy with the Capitol/Interpol corporate merger. Just one album, the experimental "Our Love To Admire," and Interpol find themselves back with independent label Matador. This self titled album with the exploding gray Interpol logo with a black background sums the whole thing up; the music is dark and fractured. In short, a return to form.

This is both good and bad. While there is nothing here as mind blowing as "The Lighthouse" was on the previous album, Interpol's mixture of Joy Division/Psychedelic Furs malevolence and malaise pulses through the core of this album, with black growls like "Success" and the sad drone of "Always/The Man I Am" piercing through the murk. Alan Moulder did these mixes, which reflects his expertise in making bleakness sound alluring, with guitars sounding like they're blaring from the back of an auditorium and making things bass heavy. That approach works even better on the uptempo "Barricade," building the song to its final punch.

Overall, the knockouts are not as consistent as they were on "Our Love to Admire," but "Interpol" is more cohesive as an album. Interpol go back to basics on this album, and the payoff is worth the listen.

This is a very different record for Interpol. First and foremost: it's a production-oriented album. The crackling gothic guitar harmonies and snappy bass-lines we've become familiar with on previous albums have taken a back seat to methodic, ominously-layered arrangements. Instead, we see the band relying more than ever on a detached synth-ambiance and the icy, multitracked vocal work of Paul Julian Banks to flesh out the hollow skeleton of dark rockers that make up this album.

Due to their overwhelming subtlety, it's very easy to miss how much time and energy must have gone into arranging the vocals on this album (the number of vocal tracks on Always Malaise alone would be enough to exhaust Freddie Mercury himself), but the minor keys, half-steps, and deadpan delivery remain true to any of PJB's best moments.

What isn't subtle--in any way--is the melange of album art rendering a 3D image of the band's name being blown to smithereens by an unseen force. Some might be inclined to interpret this as the band foreshadowing its own break-up. This is, apparently, the last Interpol record that will feature the band's original bassist and keyboard player. Others might see it, however, as the band anticipating the backlash it would get from fans in response the new direction it takes. After all, there are still a hefty amount of Interpol "fans" out there who remain steadfast in waiting for them to selflessly mimic what they were doing eight years ago on Turn On The Bright Lights.

I say let them evolve. This album took a bold step forward. It captures all of the haunting, cold and calculated mystique of their previous work and sends it careening through space on a quiet sonic journey to the outer limits. This is Interpol, post-Interpol. This is Interpol 2.0.

I am not sure why so many people are not liking this CD that claim to be their fans and see this as the death of Interpol (slightly dramatic, but I think there are being a bit too). This is still Interpol. There is still the layering of guitars between Paul and Daniel. Listening to this CD on a good set of headphones also makes it apparent how much work they put into mixing this CD. There is separation of the multiple layers of guitars in the stereo field so you can hear each guitar part distinctly. You can also hear the other layers of things that they have added to this CD, such as some orchestral accents and multiple vocal tracks.

I can understand that one reason to be attracted to Interpol was the bass playing of Carlos. He was a great match for the style of earlier Interpol and he will be missed. On this CD however, I don't see how his style would match with the songs selected. (maybe this is part of the reason for him leaving?)

This CD to me is all about mood and the building of tension throughout each song. A great example of this is 'Lights'. It starts off with a simple riff that is just built upon through the rest of the song. The riff only has one variation, but with the addition of additional instruments and sounds gives you a great song by the end of the song. As each part is added, more and more tension is also added to the eerie riff.

I would say that 'Success' is another song that fits into this pattern. This song is also the most like the 'old' Interpol. The bass line is definitely in a style like Carlos would play.

Another great song to me is 'Safe Without'. This song again starts with a simple riff that doesn't change much throughout the song. Instead what happens is that this riff rides either in the foreground or background and strangely conforms to all of the chord changes that are happening around it while not changing. This is song writing at its best to me.

All in all, this album is the beginning of a new direction for Interpol and I think they pulled it off superbly. Again, I don't understand why people that supposedly like Interpol can't get into this CD. Their sound is still there, but it has evolved to be more grand than before.

This album is getting raked over the coals primarily because it's Interpol. If this was some unknown upstart indie band it would get a much better response. That said, fans of the band (who aren't delusional fanboys/girls) are going to be disappointed. You can burn a week trying over and over to get into these songs and fail. Or you can just download the first two songs off the album (Success, Memory Serves), spend $2, forget the rest, and save that week of your time trying your butt off to enjoy this album. After the first two songs it just goes monotone with no hooks, so buildups, no boppy Carlos D bass lines, nothing. It's just a big, monotonous, repetitive drone. I love this band, but I don't even like this album. Hopefully they can turn it around because even the two good songs on this album are better than 95 percent of the blech being released these days.

Like a young actress who won her Oscar a bit early or , more appropiate , an old indie favourite that has now a substantial fanbase , Interpol have not been given the credit their work deserves ever since 2004's Antics won them a wider audience .
I , though , still find present in their records the qualities that made me love that band so much in the first place : an extremely dark romantism , Paul Banks striking baritone and their strong , punctual songwritting , " born out of a forced discipline " as drummer Greg Drudy has said in an recent interview .
Lyrics rarely say something specific in rock music and here its no different . What's so capturing instead is this whole sense of unintentional menace of enigmatic lines like " I've got two secrets but i only told you one ..." from " Success " or those nightmarishly oh-la-la's towards the end of " Memory Serves " . Stand out tracks include " Barricade " , " Success " , " Lights " and ( personal favourite ) " Try It Out " with it's devastating climax . Critics may follow trends but music fans know better and should stick with this talented group for the long run .

Not everyone likes this album, but hey, everyone's looking for something different in the music they listen to. The people who don't like this album are generally those who felt that Our Love to Admire wasn't as good as the previous two albums. Personally, I thought that Interpol stepped up their game with OLtA. I LOVE that album and thought the sound was more exciting and emotionally raw. Similarly, I love this album. No, it doesn't sound like Interpol's early stuff. And I did like Interpol's early music. But I like this better.

Here's the thing. No Carlos D. My earlier review complained about the psycho/sexual/relationship lyrics, which didn't bother me a decade ago, but I've reached a state in life where I wish artists would figure out something else to sing about. However, I was way too hard on this album. It's great, Interpol, music; in some ways more subtle and better than earlier works: say in recording, mixing, and guitar subtleties, and major effort by the singer to "deliver." So if you liked them before, and are still into or at least don't mind the excellent, but so predictable content of the 30 something lyrics, this is a tremendous independent rock album, like their earlier ones. I do feel they need a vacation, maybe a new direction, and I feel Carlos absence. Still, this is very, very good.

Fo me, it's like Bad Lieutenant without Hooky, or Morris. Truth is, Barney is a pop genius, and Phil a guitar gun slinger, and there's way more Barney guitar that I thought. They don't "need" Hooky to make a great album. This drummer isn't Stephen Morris, but he's very good, and Morris makes a "guest" appearance. It just isn't quite the same album as if it were a New Order album, perhaps its saving grace, if there were internal problems. So while maybe I'd rather have a new "great" New Order album, Bad Lieutenant is an excellent pop/rock recording, and I didn't need a weak New Order album, instead. So I wanted to modify my earlier harsher reviews, having had the time to really listen more. Bad Lieutenant is very strong if you ever liked the best Electronic, or New Order.