Bloc Party are playing March 31 at Metro in Chicago, and at a venue near you if you’re lucky. They’re the reason I got so far behind in finishing my 2004 year-end summary. I got a hold of an early copy ofSilent Alarm in December and I couldn’t stop listening to it. I’ve played the damn thing over 50 times and I’m still not sick of it. It’s definitely the album to beat so far this year (though Mars Volta could be a contender).
No doubt you’ll already start hearing backlash, about the band sounding too derivative, post-punk karaoke, Sonic Youth and Gang of Four meets The Strokes, yadda yadda. Tune out the mewling voices and just listen to the album. The band is young, and did start out touring with Franz Ferdinand, which did make some sort of sense. But they have quickly left their peers behind in the dust. After a handful of singles, Bloc Party has matured into a massively powerful band. The album hits much harder than some of the tinny-sounding singles. It’s diverse, sinewy, and quite original.
The key is the drummer, Matt Tong. The band thought long and hard about what they wanted in a drummer, and auditioned dozens. Tong is their ninth drummer since Kele Okereke and Russell Lisack formed the band in 1999. Gordon Moakes joined early 2000 after answering an ad in the NME citing “Sonic Youth, Joy Division, Pixies and DJ Shadow.” Tong’s the secret weapon, not just keeping rhythm, but painting colors, accentuating melody, showering sparks. A talented drummer makes a good band great, and a great band a legend, like Pete de Freitas, Keith Moon, Elvin Jones. The opening song, “Like Eating Glass” hits you like a truck. Others might think the shimmering single “So Here We Are” too much like an ordinary ballad. But listen to those fucking drums!
Can you tell I’m excited? This will be one of the best rock shows of the year. Silent Alarm comes out on Valentine’s Day, February 14, but only in the UK. Pre-order it for your sweetie, it doesn’t come out ’til March in the U.S. Believe me, you shouldn’t wait.
