Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

Mon 3rd Jan, 2005 in Music Reviews

Exploding out of the British music scene in late 2004, Bloc Party took Australia, and the world, by storm this year. Fronted by angsty, dreadlocked singer Kele Okereke, the spiky guitar rock that makes up their debut album sounds like Franz Ferdinand on acid with a dash of The Cure and Gang of Four thrown in for good measure.

Silent Alarm opens with the spacey, effects driven Like Eating Glass, an immediate taste for what is to come: Angt-ridden, semi-emo lyrics yelped by Okereke over the top of a droning guitar riff, while Gordon Moakes’ bass delivers a punchy rhythm. It’s a formula that works; it is not, however, original or particularly inspired.

Second track Helicopter keeps up the tempo, beginning with a merciless, angular riff that opens what is easily the standout track of the album. After this, things start to pall a bit; Positive Tension is an unsophisticated jibe at superficiality with, apart from the angry, sincere sounding chorus, has very little to support it musically. Banquet is Helicopter with the angst level turned up and the volume turned down, while slower tracks Blue Light and This Modern Love hint at a softer side of Okereke’s songwriting, sadly held back by dull, hackneyed lyrics and average guitar work.

Bloc Party, or more accurately chief songwriter Okereke, seems to suffer from an inability to express themself; potentially good songs are held back by poor lyrics and repetitive music that, by the end of the album begins to pall. To combat this they appear to have turned to effects; almost every track is a veritable showcase of guitar effects technology. Delay, flanging, echo, reverb ; all are everpresent on Silent Alarm and after a while it begins to make one long for the simplicity and clarity of a Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin song; both of whom make bold statements that Bloc Party seem to find themselves unable to make, preferring to focus inwards on their own angst. That is not to say, however, that the album is without redeeming features. The songs are, on the whole, solid and the production is excellent throughout the album. Here’s hoping that their sophomore effort is a bit more well developed.