Our Love to Admire [Deluxe Edition] [Limited]

Performer: Interpol
Engineer: Claudius Mittendorfer; Rich Costey; Claudius Mittendorfer; Rich Costey; Brian Thorn; Charlie Stavish
Producer: Rich Costey; Interpol; Rich Costey
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Interpol: Carlos D., Daniel Kessler, Paul Banks, Sam Fogarino. Audio Mixer: Rich Costey. Photographer: Seth Smoot. Although many fans have been waiting around for Interpol to replicate the magic of their 2002 debut TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS, the band deserves credit for not overtly aping the formula of that album. On 2007's OUR LOVE TO ADMIRE, as on the group's sophomore effort ANTICS, Interpol endeavor to stretch the fabric of their classic 1980s post-punk sound while leaning toward straightforward pop territory. They succeed, to a large degree, thanks to a major label budget (the band moved to Capitol for this release) and a strong batch of material. None of this is to say that Interpol aren't still rooted in the dark dramatics of Joy Division, the band's primary influence, as the gloomy, churning "Pace is the Trick" and "Wrecking Ball" prove. But the upbeat feel of "The Heinrich Maneuver" and the thumping groove and catchy hooks of "No I in Threesome" show a fresher-faced Interpol, as do the ambitious production flourishes of tunes like opener "Pioneer to the Falls." The album's nicest surprise comes at the end: "The Lighthouse" is a spare, emotionally affecting song, lovely and haunting, illustrating--as the rest of the album does--the band's continued ability to captivate. Though Our Love to Admire is technically Interpol's first major-label album, the way the band attempted to streamline the gorgeously dark atmospherics of Turn on the Bright Lights into something more marketable on Antics made that album feel more like their big-time debut than this album does. On Our Love to Admire, Interpol spends roughly half their time following Antics' gameplan of distilling their sound into readily accessible hooks, and the other half stretching their sound with deluxe arrangements and filligrees like strings, brass, and keyboards (all of which are used to grandiose effect on "Wrecking Ball"). Our Love to Admire's poppy tracks have been polished into black patent leather brilliance: "No I in Threesome"'s jaunty, insistent rhythms and "The Heinrich Maneuver"'s relatively bright, bouncy attack show that Interpol has gotten better, or at least more accomplished, at transforming their sound into singles since Antics. More heartening news for Turn on the Bright Lights fans arrives on Our Love to Admire's ambitious tracks, some of which come close to touching the greatness of Interpol's debut. "Pioneer to the Falls" uses the album's expansive production to the hilt, beginning with elegantly treacherous guitars, strings, and pianos; Daniel Kessler's soaring guitar solo and Paul Banks' repeated entreaties of "you fly straight into my heart" feel like the musical equivalent of storm clouds clearing. The song is filmic and full of ideas, and updates the spirit behind Turn on the Bright Lights without rehashing its sound slavishly. "Mammoth" is another standout, a tense yet hypnotic rocker that builds into a graceful fury around the refrain "spare me the suspense" and the band's relentless rhythm section. However, two of the prettiest songs vie for the title of the album's strongest track: "Rest My Chemistry" is Our Love to Admire's languid, luminous centerpiece (and the song that most clearly recalls Turn on the Bright Lights' magic), while the album's spare, vulnerable finale, "The Lighthouse," boasts some of Banks' most natural, affecting vocals yet. When Our Love to Admire falters -- and it falters a fair amount of the time -- it's because Interpol's attention to atmosphere and detail outpaces the songwriting. At this point the band is so professional that songs like "The Scale," "Who Do You Think?," and "Pace Is the Trick" can sound good in the moment, but fail to leave a lasting impression. With nearly as many awkward moments as inspired ones, Our Love to Admire is a somewhat schizophrenic listening experience. It feels like half of an album by a band making sure their songs that fit the mold of what they've done before, and half of an album by a band using their major-label leverage to push their boundaries. Who knows which version of the band will prevail, but there are just enough interesting songs on Our Love to Admire to suggest that they can't be written off entirely just yet. ~ Heather Phares

Rolling Stone (p.91) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "OUR LOVE TO ADMIRE is their version of R.E.M.'s FABLES OF THE RECONSTRUCTION....[A] solid, understated third album that digs in..." Entertainment Weekly (p.66) - "The outcome is akin to an artistic explosion....They've crowded this album with unexpected rhythmic feints..." -- Grade: A- Uncut (p.86) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[C]lean, sleek, armour-plated missiles, handling them all the time with an assured military swagger." Alternative Press (p.162) - 4.5 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he sheer diligence and finesse they've nurtured into these rich evening anthems is as undeniable as the talent with which the songs are delivered." CMJ (p.42) - "Interpol devilishly fuses their love for the macabre with richly textured instrumentals." Q (Magazine) (p.84) - Ranked #15 in Q's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2007" -- "There were big, bold ideas in between to send Interpol Top 5 on both sides of the Atlantic."

In 2002, Interpol helped lead the charge of New York bands influenced by the post-punk and new wave sounds of the early 1980s. With Cure-like moody guitar and synth riffs and dour, Ian Curtis-style vocals, they conjured up a dark but infectious sound. Their debut full-length TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS quickly found a home in the hearts of those who'd been warmed up by the likes of the retro-loving Strokes and White Stripes (though the boys from Interpol are far artier and not even remotely garage-rock).

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