The Student Printz

Issue date: 8/26/08 Section: Entertainment

A word of advice to the world's hyped bands: don't fall into the maturity trap. Apparently deathly afraid of a sophomore slump, many of today's young bands find themselves following up a highly praised debut with an effort that trades fun for forced thoughtfulness. Quite possibly the most prominent example of this is Bloc Party. Despite the fact that their excellent debut Silent Alarm was in no way immature, the London-based group decided its sequel should be filled with half-cooked ballads and heavy-handed politics. On their quickly released new album, Intimacy, the band makes somewhat of a return to form, albeit an extremely flawed one.

That said, Intimacy's first impression is exactly opposite of their true form. "Ares" and "Mercury," the album's opening duo, are the worst songs the band has ever created. As boring as last year's Weekend in the City's hookless ballads were, they were never outright offensive. Such a backhanded compliment cannot be made for the awkward pilfering of the Klaxons's nu-rave style found on these two tracks. Singer Kele Okereke's voice has always been a distinctive element, but it should never be pushed this far up in the mix and it definitely should never engage in such monotonous squawking.

Thankfully, third track "Halo" comes in the nick of time to salvage the record. Instead of shamelessly ripping nu-rave electronics, the track implements these elements into a song reminiscent of previous Bloc Party successes "Banquet" and "The Prayer." Though less effective, both "Trojan Horse" and "One Month Off" accomplish the same feat while serving as great examples of drummer Matt Tong's frantic style.

While it's nice to see the band realize that guitar driven anthems are their greatest strength, their attempts to work outside of that style are interesting, even if they are a bit hit or miss. "Zepherus" successfully marries creepy atmospherics to a danceable electronic beat, but goes on a little long. Sadly, "Signs" replicates Weekend In The City's snail's-pace snoozers, but I'm grateful that it's the only track to embrace that style. The closer "Ion Square" is easily the album's finest moment, as the song's locomotive beat and exquisite climax move Bloc Party's sound forward while keeping the elements that made them great. It's a big, anthemic triumph that reminds me that this is still a band worth getting excited about.

Considering the record's inconsistent nature, it's tough to declare Intimacy an absolute return to form. On display here simultaneously are the band's highest heights and their lowest lows. Had the record been more consistent, it could have supplanted Silent Alarm as their defining moment. Instead, it's more of a reminder that Bloc Party can still be fresh and relevant.

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