Bloc Party – Intimacy

I know that Intimacy came out nearly 2 months ago, but I haven’t been able to wrap my head around it until now.

Intimacy is a definite stray from Silent Alarm, and even A Weekend in The City.  It seems to be a progression of sorts, going from Bloc Party‘s post-rock punkish sounds to a more refined, dreamy, electronica. I’m sure some of you disapprove of this progression, although I, for one, see it as a positive thing. There’s only so much time a band can spend sounding punk without becoming too similar or over the top in later works. But I’m probably biased, because I’m a big fan of this softer appeal (when Silent Alarm came out, “Blue Light” – by far the least animated song – was one of my favorites).

The good thing about Bloc Party though is that Kele Okereke’s vocals are so unique, it is almost impossible to not recognize a song as “Bloc Party.” So, on Intimacy, while we get different experimentation, there is still a very Bloc Party of old feel. I think repeated listens are necessary for full appreciation, as I’m just getting around to doing that myself. They need more practice with these new sounds, but I think this is an extremely solid release. Any guesses about the next album?

Bloc Party – “Signs”

Bloc Party – “Ion Square”

Bloc Party – “Biko”