Interpol, ‘Antics’
By user • Oct 7th, 2004 • Category: Album Reviews
Joy Division. Ian Curtis.
With those two references out of the way in the first four words, we can think about Interpol without building up to the inevitable comparisons that have followed and sometimes preceded the New York foursome in every mention.
Some people would argue Interpol should have accepted its debut was perfect, there was no way the band could match that output and the sophomore release needed to be drastically different. In theory, those people would be right.
Except Interpol did make nearly the same record again and it’s every bit as good.
Paul Banks’ isn’t as stranded on “Antics.” He hasn’t lost his affinity for multi-tracked vocals, but this time all the voices aren’t his own, as he embraces multiple-part harmonies on larger-than-life choruses.
A change like this, as well as more plush guitars and a less disjointed rhythm section, add a unified delicacy to a record that is slightly more direct and heavier than its predecessor.
In the last two years, Interpol seems to have dismantled the Manchesterian, post-punk temple and reconstructed a smaller, less obvious shrine.
See, it is inevitable.
Northern Star, Oct. 7, 2004
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