Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Sounds like Ian

A few weeks ago, two bands which are constantly compared to Joy Division released their new album. I’m not gonna compare them to the band fronted by Ian Curtis, although I’m tempted to do so, if only to piss fans off saying you can’t compare those bands.


Starting with Interpol, I must compliment them for only ‘leaking’ three songs before the release of Our Love To Admire. In their pre-OLTA-release shows, where you’d might expect much new songs, they only played Heinrich Maneuver, Mammoth and Pioneer To The Falls. Were they ashamed of the other songs? Did they need money to finance their real tour? I don’t know. But I do know that I’m not wildly enthusiastic about Our Love To Admire. The single Heinrich Maneuver (not to be mistaken for Heimlich Manoeuvre of some Swedish band which was, in the weeks before the OLTA release, accidentally on purpose mistagged for Interpol) is just a very mediocre, static pop song with even worse lyrics. ‘How are things on the West Coast’? You gotta be kiddin’ me! It even gets more worse when you see their video.


More songs on the album are like this. They lack the dark epic but hooky sound with the strong bass riff of bassist Carlos D. which especially made Turn On The Bright Lights and to a less extent Antics great albums. Some people see this as a positive thing, because they supposedly stopped trying to be like Joy Division. But when TOTBL is made by an Interpol trying to be like Joy Division, they can count on my support! And what’s so bad about a band that can be compared to Joy Division if they produce some quality stuff?


Between the mediocre (‘but at least it doesn’t sound like JD’) songs, there are still some fine songs left. Opening track Pioneer To The Falls is immediately the best song on the album. And Pace Is The Trick (which, by the way, begins more or less the same as Pioneer and Wrecking Ball) is my favorite because of its graceful ending. Then there are songs like Mammoth and Rest My Chemistry which are also nice, but just not nice enough to turn on Our Love To Admire instead of Turn On The Bright Lights, arguably one of the best albums of the 00’s.


The review of the new Editors album will be posted soon...



The Japanese got lucky again: Mind Over Time (bonus track)

1 comment:

Choquolage said...

I'm kinda starting to like OLTA. Although it took some time. But I think it's safe to say their previous albums are better. Gonna post a cool Interpol remix soon to ease the pain.