Bloc Party - Four

Bloc Party - Octopus

Runs for: 3:05

The single off the new album.

I believe it's one of the weaker tracks on the album, which makes this a weird choice for a single.

Bit of a foreword here:

Bloc Party are a hard band for me to criticise. They’re a band that pops up a lot in conversations – if you ask someone what bands they’re into, I’d be surprised if you got through three people without someone saying Bloc Party. The difficulty here is that everyone who likes them, likes them for a different reason which lies down to the listener's favourite album.

Silent Alarm has a special place in my heart, even though my tastes have shifted and evolved dramatically, I’ll still remember hearing the catchy riffs and wicked drumming from in the kitchen of my old place back in my teenage years. Then Weekend in the City came out. I didn’t like it that much, but it ended up being the favourite of a couple of close friends and I still quite like a few tracks from it. I saw them play live just after the release of Intimacy, and while I admit I never listened to the album fully, I had a a decent appreciation for the weird dancey electro tunes they were putting out.


After all of this, we come to Four.



Now Four for me is never going to be a part of my life like the other albums were because I'm a giant wanker and get all my music info off the net. I guess this time around I'll be able to review one of their albums without bias and investigate its musical strengths.

The album is pretty good in places, but sometimes lacking for a couple of reasons. The one thing that should be standing out here as you listen would be the fact that a lot of the music is better constructed - it's got a much more mature sound to it. What I mean by this is that the good songs of the earlier albums could instantly jump to anthem status. They were in your face and got you going. You'd hear banquet out on a night and everyone would be jumping around and singing. Nothing on this album really does that to me, and considering that was one of Bloc Party's strengths, the change in dynamic leaves parts of the album lacking. I'd also like to say that making Octopus a single was a fucking terrible decision, as Team A pretty much uses that unique loop effect they've got going on, only in a good fashion.

That's not to say that it's not a good album. The first few tracks are pretty decent and 3x3 as a song pretty much puts forward the fact that Bloc Party are grown up now. However, there aren't any songs where Kele puts forward those poppy lyrics he does so well and any attempt he puts forward seem weaker than his previous releases. This is going to leave a sour taste in the mouth of people who love this band based on his vocal work - and for good reason too since a lot of their best songs were driven by this (arguably).

A couple of media releases about the album's release named it as Bloc Party's 'metal' album. By this they mean they put two hard tracks on it which sound like a sped-up version of a bad Muse track (so anything after mid 2000's really). They pull it off pretty well actually and it makes the album a little bit ambitious. It's a pretty bold move really, for them to add any more of their poppier or slow stuff on the album, they'd be running the risk of pushing in blatant filler tracks. So clap clap good on them.

Overall I'd say it can compare to their earlier stuff. I think I like it better than Intimacy and the band is headed in a good direction, but only if they manage to get Kele to let his vocal work catch up with the rest of the band who have really asserted themselves here.

Recommended for: It's Bloc Party. Honestly if you need me to tell you about these guys stop listening to your parents favourite radio station and grow a pair.

Bloc party - We are not good people

Runs for 3:19.

One of the 'metal' tracks. 

In your face and a strong closing track for the album.

Bloc Party- Real Talk

Runs for: 4:13

One of the slower, melodic tracks. 

Should really outline what I was saying about the band being musically evolved, 

but somehow Kele's vocals don't really do it for me here.