By Michael Pankonien
Staff Writer
The indie rock band Interpol released their new album on September 7th, 2010; self titled Interpol, the album is the band’s fourth release since their first album, Turn On The Bright Lights was released in 2002. However this latest success is bitter sweet for the band as the Carlos Dengler, Interpol’s bass player, has announced his intention to leave the band with the completion of the album.
The album itself contains 10 tracks and is over 40 minutes long. While the album’s themes cover a variety of things (the band’s overall success, the relationship between lovers), it seems that the album’s main point is to cover the end of Interpol itself.
The album’s first track and second tracks, Success and Memory Serves, are a tribute to Interpol’s current standing. Coming from an indie band started up in New York, the band has toured both across the U.S. and all over Europe as well. However despite the song titles it seems as if Interpol does not really feel successful, or that it’s being true with its audience (I’ve got two secrets, but I’ve only told you one). More that Interpol is trying to find itself with this album (Tonight a special memory serves And I’ll wait to find that I’m gray). Regardless, the songs feature the same rythms and sounds that made the band popular: Sam Fogarino percussion runs strong and is easily felt throughout the song; Dengler’s bass work is at its best. Bank’s vocals have grown stronger thanks to his previous solo album under the pseudo name Julian Plenti and Kessler’s guitar is clear and cutting.
The album’s next three tracks (Summer Well, Lights, and Barricade) are a steady return to the duets between streaming guitar, thundering bass, and driving percussion that was the band’s forte in their previous album’s Turn On The Bright Lights and Antics. Summer Well in particular features a well developed chorus between Bank’s vocals and Kessler’s guitar, both of which being pushed along with Dengler’s strong and clear bass line (a line which while is incredibly simply in the song, adds to the song immense hitting power). The three tracks themselves tell the story of a man dealing with a lost relationship: he misses her dearly (Summer Well), he tries to strengthen himself and forget those thoughts (Lights), he puts a wall on the thoughts themselves and rushes into other things to forget that the relationship ever happened (Barricade).
Always Malaise (The Man I Am) and Safe Without return to the theme covered on the albums first two tracks. Always Malaise (The Man I Am) is a story of a man who, despite his best efforts, is exactly the song’s title (Well it pains me to say And I do what I can That’s the man I am). Safe Without however, while it is still tied to the theme of not being what you are seen as or trying to be, is simply the answer to the problem. As the song states, the author no longer cares for that higher road (Go alone we’ll skip the chase It’s go the road or drop the weight) and prefers to go off on who he really is. Both songs return to the style found in Interpol’s previous album, Our Love to Admire, with long chords, ringing vocals, and songs with a less steady pace and a more flowing rhythm. It’s in these songs that the influence of Bank’s recent solo project can be felt; his long vocals are almost direct descendents to those of his solo album, Julian Plenti is…Skyscraper.
Try it On and All the Ways turn back on to the album’s previous theme however: the story between a man and his lover. Try it On is the implorations of a man to his lover (Please explore my love’s endurance and stay, stay) where as All of the Ways is the man’s then decendence into jealously and suspension (Who is this guy Does he say that he’d like to know you Does he say that he wants to know). The songs themselves, while also hailing towards Our Love to Admire, take the long, flowing, song structure in the right direction. While the rhythm is slow, the focus is put upon long, individual chords and Bank’s vocals; vocals which reach right out and chill your spine.
The Undoing however goes off on it’s own theme: the undoing of Interpol. In a way, it is a silent message to Carlos Dengler (I always thought you had great style And style was worthwhile). In another, it describes what has been touched on throughout the album: the struggle to find Interpol’s current self; the song is the band’s first to feature any Spanish (Suele tener Me suelto Me suelto en el deshacer Al puro perder el ganar no compara) which roughly translated equates to the band’s loss of control and how that loss doesn’t equal the band’s current fame and success. As each song features its own sound or rhythm, what is most prevalent in this title is it’s end. It starts slow, quite, building up to a grand finally which is aidded by the blaring, clear cutting ring of trumpets.
Because that’s what the album is overall: Interpol’s end. There is a clear and dark connation throughout the album; a darkness not noticalbe in Interpol’s album. And the album’s sound lacks that core kick that has been present in other Interpol albums. Instead, the album serves as the final stage for Interpol’s rising star. Just as the pheonix burns itself amongst it’s own ashes, so does Interpol. However, like the phoenix Interpol now has the chance to start a new. The loss of Dengler and Interpol’s clear identity crisis only leaves the band the oppurtunity to start clean and bring itself back with something new.
Despite the album’s clear cutting sound and refinement on the band’s slow style put forth in Our Love to Admire, the album also lacks the raw sound and upbeat vigor that made the band so approachable in early albums. I’d give this album 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5.
