Bloc Party has been the “it” band in the UK for a number of months now, and rightly so. BBC radio did their version of a documentary on the origin of British Rock, and from their informal poll of people on the street and objectives from industry pundits, most of what their country had to offer all came from the U.S., even to the point of singing with an American accent (which always baffled me, how they sound so completely different from when they’re talking as opposed to when they’re singing).
In the way that early Blur discarded any attempts at looking into the past, Bloc Party is part of a new generation of UK artists that are throwing the previous molds against the brick wall. The result heard from Silent Alarm is simply glorious; bouncing with unbridled joy and fiery delight. Vocalist and lead man of the party, Kele Okerere, commands your attention, acting as one driving piston in this fine tuned machine. At every turn each musician excels at their craft, layering humming bass with plasmatic drums and lead guitars that run the rails of elaborate to amazingly refined.
The opening track “Like Eating Glass” hooks the new listener at the Tower Records CD post to grabbing and running with disc to the checkout stand. But if he or she were to continue on to “This Modern Love,” the benefits of headphones would pay off in the listening experience. “Price of Gas” runs the news ticker with surf strewn echoes and spank happy protest marches to overrun any oil baron’s body guard. “Plans” bring the party down a notch or to into a state of twilight sleepiness, which continues into a tranquil and beautifully laid out “Compliments,” covered in blanket of twinkling electronics and pedal heavy sheets of sound.
Bloc Party is coming through Denver on May 24 to play the Gothic. This is a show that’s not to be missed.
