Interpol is such an interesting, mysterious band. I was first introduced to them by a good friend while I was still wrapped up in punk and emo back in high school. Interpol's music seemed too subdued, too basic, too unemotional for it to make any kind of impact at the time. But, for some unknown reason, they lingered in my head like a post-it note that said "come back later". And I'm very glad that I did.
After the underground success story Turn On The Bright Lights provided a post-punk revivalist wet-dream from the budding New York indie scene back in 2002, fans were waiting for another installment of dark, brooding, beautiful music from a band that couldn't shake constant comparisons to Joy Division. Although the comparison is fair at times, Interpol's music does not share the outright obliqueness and bleak worldview of the Ian Curtis-fronted outfit. Interpol responded in 2004 with the release of Antics. The fans were understandably divided.
Antics isn't the kind of record that instantly catches you. Although the record is a generally hooky and straight-forward post-punk affair, the melodies aren't as ubiquitous as they seem on the surface. Sure, there are sing-along choruses and insistent bass-lines, gorgeous soundscapes and darkly sexual undertones, but this version of Interpol doesn't have the same underground-chic aesthetic that so captured fans on Turn On The Bright Lights. It's mainly a difference in production.Where that record was littered with musical interludes, angular song structures, and sometimes seemed sort of cut-and paste; Antics sounded more straight-forward. Less concerned with projecting a certain indie-cred darkness, and more concerned with making a bid for the big-time. The honest truth is that the record does both, if you're willing to give it a chance.
Interpol doesn't seem concerned at all with which side of their fan base will enjoy the record. Antics has a pacing that serves each of it's 10 tracks perfectly. It soars on the the wings of lingering reverberated guitar phrases, and gives in to it's dark impulses with bold bass lines and stuttering drum work. Paul Banks' vocals are brooding, and deliberately trade off between pleading lovelorn confessions and slightly sexual subtext; all of which serves the music as much as his lower-register voice does perfectly. But there's more to Interpol than most bands of this cluttered genre. They somehow manage to balance hooks and danceable rhythms with a mysterious cloud of dark seduction that slowly draws you into the album with each successive listen.
"Evil" starts off with a lone bassline and Banks' crooning voice as he beckons a lover by name, and the song soon opens up with a very danceable beat and repeating guitar strokes that sound effortless- the perfect encapsulation of what this band, and the album, is really all about. The song will no doubt get you dancing and nodding your head with guilt-free approval. No small feat.
"Not Even Jail", possibly my favourite song from Antics, carries the other side of the Interpol coin. It begins with an insistent drum and bass rhythm as a lone angular guitar line creates the atmosphere of glacial cascading ice. The image isn't perfect, but there's no other way to properly describe just how big this song sounds, even as the building instrumentals never incorporate unnecessary instruments into the mix. The pleading vocal from Banks matches the forward pace of the song, before a perfectly timed and wonderfully executed outro breaks through the cold and warmly brings the song to a fade-out ending.
"Public Pervert", though oddly named, takes it's time and sets an "alone-at-sea" vibe that sinks in deep. It's a love song, and Banks keeps his vocal sweetly crooned over a bed of slow-to-medium pacing that comes together for a brilliantly enticing chorus that just drips with passionate longing. This song just makes me swoon, and I don't care if that sounds weird! Just try not to be swept under it's spell.
Since the record has only 10 tracks, it is hard to find one misstep in the bunch. Although album-opener "Next Exit" surprisingly plods along at a snail's pace, it's just a red herring for the wonderfully upbeat rock and roll found within the remaining 9 tracks. Interpol has something special, although it is sometimes hard to figure out exactly what that special quality is.
It would be easy to sit back and complain about everything this album is not. Although, it's a lot more fun to forget all about that and slowly let it draw you into it's magically dark and seductive world. Antics retains a special place in my collection because it took it's time to burrow it's way into my head and my heart. And hopefully, it will do the same for you.
Just give it a chance.
Narc (Track 3)
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