Word: interpolations
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...could we generally characterize this year? I’d think of it as the triumph of the new: not one of these established artists were able to claim much relevance, and follow-up efforts by great hopes like Interpol and the Hives went the way of the Strokes’ sophomore release—good, but not carrying through on the promise of their breakthroughs. A couple of specific moments clinched this year for me. One was in early March, when some friends dragged me off to hear this band Franz Ferdinand at a full house...
...strength of “Such Great Heights,” an excellent single that condenses everything good about the Postal Service into a compact pop window; the album sticks to that sound entirely, and the band does little to branch out. Second showings from the Strokes and Interpol have proven exactly how a band of the moment with a distinct sound, usually captured on a lone popular single, can come up short of innovative ideas on a sophomore effort. There is no doubt that a band so gimmicky as to name themselves after their gimmick would have a similar...
...second language, versus 113 million and over 60 million respectively for French. Despite France's annual $1 billion budget to promote French internationally, the language ranks 11th in terms of number of speakers and is flagging. Though it is still the primary language at international institutions like unesco, Interpol and the European Court of Justice - and a working tongue at a score of others - English dominates international diplomacy and business, and is the language used on 52% of all websites; just 4.6% are in French. Across the E.U. (and excluding the U.K.), 92% of students choose to study English...
...song “Narc” demonstrates the effectiveness of this layering technique: Beginning only with an angular guitar line, the song jumps to life with the sudden arrival of a surging bass line and steady backbeat. Interpol has a new swagger, is more direct and present. Banks’ familiar drone, tired but on pitch, remains an ideal complement for the shadowy sound his band churns out. The vocal melodies are catchy and diverse. The final product is more organic and less distant than the debut...
...this second release, the litmus test for staying power in the record industry, has no doubt weighed heavily on the band members, whose debut inspired such acute hyperventilation among indie rags. Fortunately, neither the watchful eyes of hipster nation nor the inflated anticipation for their follow-up have knocked Interpol off course. Unintimidated, the band appears to reassert its artistic and commercial ambitions bluntly in the album’s very first line: “We ain’t going to the town/We’re going to the city.” Antics finds the four...