BLOC PARTY @ Metropolis

By Nick Shofield - The Siamese Libertines - 09/17/2008

If the name Bloc Party sends chills down your back in fear of a Soviet or Bloc Quebecois resurgence, the only thing you need to worry about is finding a minute to get blown away by these British songsters. Once heralded as indie-champions, they've been intravenously pumped into pop-media via movies, magazines, radio and TV. It's quite likely you already love them, but simply don't know it.

Ardent ‘Bloc’ followers are anticipating the release of their third studio album, Intimacy, after being adequately pummeled by their rapid-fire first release Silent Alarm and its matured brother, A Weekend in the City. Speaking stylistically, imagine an amalgamation of The Cure's haunting vocals and The Strokes' driving rhythms - then add water.

This edgy Brit-pop group is based on the standard Western rock recipe. Simply add a half-cup of chest thumpin' bass (G. Moakes), a spattering of high intensity drums (M. Tong), simmer and stir until some creatively jagged lead guitar lines boil over (R. Lissack). Present this feast with a quirky Liverpool-ian on vocals and rhythm guitar (K. Okereke) and you'll serve about four, with leftovers for lunch.

Although Bloc Party is maturing from the ‘boxy’ contained feel of Silent Alarm to a more pristine studio-induced clarity, the live show is having a tough time keeping up. At Metropolis on St. Catherine, a venue known for top-notch sound with a concave roof for sound diffusion, the light-show was stealing their thunder.

As one can expect from rock groups these days, the volume from the PA system was painful to the 'make earplugs from napkins' degree.

Taking a listen to their CD's, Bloc Party is tightly layered and intense, however this did not translate live. The reverberant venue brought spaciousness to their typically ‘confined’ sound, even adding some harshness to the high frequency range. Besides their unusually raw sound, they played their material with little elaboration, essentially mimicking the studio albums.

It was in 1999 at the Reading Music Festival that Okereke and Lissack conceived of this band. These days, the tables have turned and the four-some are a favorite amongst festival coordinators, becoming recurring guests at Leeds, Reading, and Glastonbury. In addition to rocking festival crowds into sweaty oblivion, their tracks have been prey to techno remixes, so even more sweaty people can enjoy them. This new-age interaction seems to be influencing the band in the studio as their albums turn to electronics and non-traditional ‘rock’ methods for a fresh sound.

In short, the ‘studio’ band is blessed with two faces; you're sure to enjoy at least one of them.