bloc party

Fans of Bloc Party's debut album, Silent Alarm, may be surprised by the band's third attempt, Intimacy. Drum and synth-heavy, while unapologetically experimental, chaos ensues from the first cries of opening-track "Aries." Amidst the sound of massively distorted guitars comes an appropriate warning: "Get out of the way or get f-ed up."

It takes only a few tracks for listeners to become fully aware of Bloc Party's new sound. Lead singer Kele Okerekere's verses often overlap, coming in from all directions. Combined with the splashy, hard-hitting drums, a barrage of siren-like guitars and tension-filled horn synths, listeners may feel like they're frantically trying to escape from an evil scientist's underground laboratory. At the very least, it's exciting.

However, the second half of Intimacy becomes slower, grander and more epic. "Signs" maintains a constant, driving kick drum and pitter-patter of synthesized raindrops. We are still running somewhere, but at a more contemplative pace. Successfully combining the energy of the first tracks with the sentimentalism of the later ones, "Trojan Horse" observes a new sign of losing that loving feeling: "You used to take your watch off before we made love."

Taken in full, the album portrays a beautiful picture of, well... intimacy, from the lovers' initial meeting in "Halo" to the poignancy of "Biko" and finally culminating in the tragic ending of "Better than Heaven." The constant tension and at times heart-aching vocal delivery paint a picture of a realistic relationship, which gives the album a holistic sense of completion.

In a commercializing indie scene that is quick to encourage sticking with anything that sells, it's nice to see Bloc Party experiment with more percussion-driven tracks chalked full of synthesizers. You can accept the chaotic results or get out of the way. 3 stars.