Bloc Party
The debut CD. It’s both a debut - intended to represent a young band to the world - and a CD - a timeless musical document. At some point during the recording of Bloc Party’s debut CD Silent Alarm the band and producer Paul Epworth had to make a choice: create a tight little post-punk firecracker of a CD or represent the increasingly diverse modern and retro rock sounds of the band. They chose the latter.
With all the comparisons to Gang of Four, it’s easy to forget that a full third of the CD is made up of New Order-influenced 80s rock. They’re not weak filler, per se, but they neglect Bloc Party’s strengths. The CD opens with “Like Eating Glass,” a piecewise construction of the band’s sound from bottom-to-top: moody guitar effects, tight bass, Matt Tong’s fearless drums, and Kele Okereke’s frenetic vocals. The pace is intense and slightly raw; filled with catchy little vocal and instrumental riffs.
The music has obvious precedents but it’s hard to dismiss. For four straight tracks, the arrangements are tight, the vocals are surprisingly catchy, and the pace is downright invigorating. [For a pseudo-mathematical description of Bloc Party’s influences, see Newsweek’s analysis]
But ultimately, the CD is weakened by the band’s ambition to present a varied collection of songs. In our modern iPod-playlist era, this isn’t such a bad thing. On my MP3 player I’ve created a Louder Alarm playlist - a taut 10-song post-punk workout. It’s what this CD should have been.