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62 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Up to new "Antics", October 4, 2004
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.
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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The bright lights have sorely dimmed..., October 20, 2004
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.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I'm sorry, what?, December 4, 2004
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.
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