Bloc Party, A Weekend in the City
2.5/5 starsWhen Bloc Party vocalist/guitarist Kele Okereke mumbles, “In every headline we are reminded that this is not home for us,” he’s obviously talking about the ongoing war in Iraq, but he couldn’t have possibly found a more mundane or ordinary way to make his point.
That same ordinariness continues through much of the band’s sophomore album, A Weekend in the City. The album itself isn’t necessarily bad. It simply appears that the group never bothered to break new ground or branch out from their superior debut effort Silent Alarm. Weekend almost feels like a collection of outtakes from Alarm, with very few exceptions.
The album begins innocently enough with “Song for Clay (Disappear Here).” Okereke does a nice job of using his naturally low vocal tone before unexpectedly jumping three octaves and doing his best Alanis Morissette impersonation. Although he fails miserably, the drums kick in and the song gains considerable energy, eventually changing time signatures and engaging the listener with a decent chorus. It’s an above-average intro to an average album.
“Hunting for Witches” opens with a really inventive introduction of samples compiled to set a rhythm later complemented with great beat provided by percussionist Matt Tong. Then the guitar kicks in, and the entire song turns into a formulaic throwback to the band’s debut album.
The formula established on the first album is by no means a bad thing, but many of the songs on Weekend tend to sound like each other. The tracks that follow “Witches” mirror each other in chord structure and tempo.
The song “Waiting on the 7:18” teeters between being an effective sleeping aid (the first instrument heard sounds like Christmas bells) and an energetic, catchy chorus before resorting to cheesy synthesizer effects. It is followed by the first single “The Prayer,” a tune with its moments but not enough overall appeal or uniqueness to be regarded as a great single.
“Uniform” suffers from the same conundrum of almost every other song on the 11-track LP. It shows a lot of promise lyrically and musically in the first minute before suddenly switching gears and turning into a slew of robot harmonies and whiny, unoriginal lyrics.
“Where is Home” is a complete mess: a stereotypical, overly political, musically lacking dead-end composition heavily dependent on studio effects and forgettable harmonies. Fortunately it doesn’t get any worse for Bloc Party, at least not on this album.
It is also followed by the lone standout track on the entire album, “Kreuzberg.” Russell Lissack’s guitar work is understated but extremely effective and pleasant. Bassist Gordon Moakes doesn’t try to do too much, and the band’s chemistry shines on this track. It sounds very little like previous material, and it manages to give the album a lift.
“I Still Remember,” never quite gets off the ground. It starts out as album filler and stays that way throughout. Why it and not “Kreuzberg” is the next single from the album is beyond comprehension. It is by far the inferior of the two.
By the time “Sunday,” the tenth track, begins, it is clear that the album has hit its plateau and is now gradually declining particularly in lyrical content. Singer Okereke sings, “I love you in the morning/When you’re still hung-over/I’ll love you in the morning/When you’re still strung out.”
Not exactly Robert Frost material, but surely he had the best of intentions. However much it may lack lyrically, “Sunday” does have one thing going for it: It’s undeniably catchy. It’s just a shame that the lyrical quality doesn’t match that of the music.
The album closes with “SRXT,” a slow, meandering blunder of an album closer reminiscent of material Radiohead might put on an album of B-sides. Is it a bad song? No. It’s just not great. It’s been heard before many times. It’s nothing new. It’s not special. It’s just average.
One of the few redeeming quirks of the album is the innovative drumming of Matt Tong. Even if the songs leave a lot to be desired, there is nothing to complain about in the rhythm section. Tong incorporates intricate high-hat work and bass drum syncopation to add a desirable spice to the otherwise plain sandwich that is the majority of the album.
This album could lead many to wonder if the dreaded “sophomore slump” monster has paid Bloc Party an unwelcome visit. Perhaps their record company was just pressuring them to release something while they were still making waves in the indie music scene. Let’s hope they take a little more time with the next one.