Intimacy

Performer: Bloc Party
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: For its third studio outing, INTIMACY, the British rock group Bloc Party makes a notable departure from the post-punk/shoegazer-influenced SILENT ALARM and the arena-ready WEEKEND IN THE CITY, opting for a boldly wide-ranging set of songs that often boasts a shiny techno veneer. In fact, INTIMACY's first two tracks, "Ares" and "Mercury," recall the more aggressive side of the Chemical Brothers, which isn't entirely surprising, since Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke collaborated with the electronica duo in the past. While some fans, particularly aficionados of ALARM, may be disheartened by such a sonic shift, the scorching "Halo" keeps the torch of earlier albums burning, and "Signs" picks up on the ensemble's occasional ambient leanings, showing that Bloc Party can maintain some bearings even as it sets out towards unfamiliar waters.

Rolling Stone (p.112) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Fronman Kele Okereke treats his voice like a strange instrument, chopping it up and dropping it into the mix....Replacing Bloc Party's distant cool with vivid honesty, he makes INTIMACY a confident new peak for his band." Spin (p.88) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Kele Okereke's lyrics make it clear the album's title is no accident: This is his relationship record..." Entertainment Weekly (p.61) - "Bloc Party have proved they can throw out a scapel-drawn guitar line with the best of the aughts' new-wave revivalists..." Alternative Press (p.144) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "INTIMACY is arguably Bloc Party's finest moment thus far, offering sweat and circuitry, savagery and submission, and a captivating energy that's severely lacking in many music scenes on the planet." Mojo (Publisher) (p.104) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Bloc Party have decided, it seems, to really go their own way on an album of extremes, both musically and emotionally....Boldness has its own reward in the big grime beats, tension-filled horns and cold self-loating of 'Mercury'..." Clash (magazine) (p.122) - "Varied yet coherent, commercial yet experimental, one of the most confusing and downright exciting albums of the year."

U.K. dance-rock outfit Bloc Party stormed both sides of the pond in 2005 with the release of its debut full-length SILENT ALARM. Mixing airtight dance-floor rhythms with smart guitar-driven melodies and a hipster aesthetic, Bloc Party set itself apart from an overcrowded field of often over-hyped British bands, and established itself as a force extending beyond the latest music industry headline.

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