BLOC PARTY "Intimacy" (Wichita) five / ten

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I enjoyed Bloc Party's earlier albums Silent Alarm and A Weekend in the City, but Intimacy is shrouded in disappointment. For Intimacy, Bloc Party return to not only Jacknife Lee but also Paul Epworth to co-produce the new material. However this decision categorically leads to the album's downfall. The presence of both producers shows that the recording has a lack of direction and the bands primary vision becomes muddled beneath an un-necessary degree of over production and misguidance.

"Ares" kicks off the album with riotous guitars and Kele Okereke shouting "War, War, War, War, I want to declare a War". Bloc Party's strongest asset has always been how lyrical Kele can be in their songs and this aspect doesn't disappoint throughout the album. The release of "Flux" during a lull in Bloc Party's live performance while recording "Intimacy" showed promise of the bands decision to incorporate electronics into their sound.

The first single, "Mercury", has caused quite a controversy amongst 'Blocheads' with a line being drawn down the middle as to whether to be for or against it. The band has incorporated loop pedals, synths, drum machines, vocal manipulation and a brass section in the making of "Mercury"; it's actually quite annoying at first but is a definite grower.

The album standout is "Biko" which resembles the earlier Bloc Party sound and is the more mature version of "This Modern Love" from the first album. However, Intimacy never seems to kick off with the same energy as previous Bloc Party releases and when the second half of the album is in full swing the listener has lost interest and if you heroically stick it out until the end, all that your really rewarded with is a sigh of relief that it's over!

Aaron Duff
www.blocparty.com

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