Interpol - Interpol Review

Posted by David Hayter on 09.07.2010

Interpol returns with their self-titled album, but can it match up to their ground-breaking 2002 debut? 411's David Hayter checks in with his full review!



Interpol - Interpol

1. "Success" 3:28
2. "Memory Serves" 5:03
3. "Summer Well" 4:05
4. "Lights" 5:38
5. "Barricade" 4:11
6. "Always Malaise (The Man I Am)" 4:15
7. "Safe Without" 4:41
8. "Try It On" 3:42
9. "All of the Ways" 5:18
10. "The Undoing" 5:11

Attempting to read deeply into an album title tends to be a foolhardy pursuit. So often you find yourself talking at length about a title that was as much the product of lazy tokenism, as genuine artistic intent. However, despite the potential pitfalls, you can’t help but feel that there is symbolism and meaning behind Interpol’s decision to self title their fourth full LP. Interpol is the sound of a band redefining (or re-finding) their own identity. After experimentation with indie-hit making on Antics, and then again on Our Love To Admire; Interpol plays like an assertion of the band’s core values. A return to the textures and emotional weight of their 2002 breakthrough Turn On The Bright Lights. Perhaps fittingly, Interpol will be the last Interpol album to feature their iconic bassist, and founding member, Carlos Dengler. So in many ways Interpol is the final stand of the line up who recorded and toured Turn On The Bright Lights, and fittingly, it appears the band have come full circle

One listen to “Success” and it becomes immediately apparent that Interpol is the natural heir to Turn On The Bright Lights. After their staggering debut Interpol struggled to transition their sound from lo-fi indie chic to the major label, mainstream luster. That is until now; as Interpol has the clean, clear, and sharp production quality of the major league but retains the weary emotional depth and subtly of Interpol’s original aesthetic. As the bass pedal softly thunders like a spasmodic startled heartbeat, the subtly layered arrangement of “Success” rises up and Paul Banks begins to weave his melancholy narrative. The knowing irony of the tragic “Success” is a delight, as Banks mournfully croons “I have succeed, I won’t compete for love” you can’t help but wryly smile at his deafest realization. The way the hooks and key lines slowly emerge from the forlorn emotional haze and engrain themselves on your consciousness with repeated listens is reminiscent of both “NYC” and “Untitled”. “Success” is a reminder of Interpol at their most natural; a band who almost inadvertently stumble across hits in the midst of baring their soul, rather than consciously trying to conqueror the charts.

“Success” sets the scene for a superb run of tracks that slide together both organically and beautifully. The delicate hooks of “Success” suddenly give way to the weighty downhearted gloom of “Memory Serves”. A track which teeters of the boundary of being over wrought until Banks unleashes the gorgeous soft spoken plea of a chorus; “You Don’t Have To Say That You’d Love To, But Please Baby, That You’d Want To, Some Day”. It’s the kind of quiet, almost reserved, longing that makes Interpol so affecting, and truly special as song writers. “Summer Well” lightens the mood allowing a bass groove to truly develop while the guitars spike and counterpoint one another in typical Interpol fashion.

Then four tracks in comes Interpol’s staggering centerpiece. “Lights” (released earlier this year as a free download) reaches out at the listener; it’s bolder and more direct than any of the album’s prior or subsequent works. The guitar chugs along and the piano thuds with poignant emotional menace as Banks’ vocal propel itself upon the listener. “Lights” builds slowly but satisfyingly to one great wall of noise as Banks proclaims steadfastly “That’s Why I Hold You Dear”. Rich and brooding, it might not be a traditional single but it’s certainly classic Interpol; reminding the listener of the bands former glories while still feeling fresh and more polished than anything Interpol have released previously. “Barricade” by comparison is less exciting, and less original, but it’s certainly a welcome break from the bleak misery of the album’s opening. “Baricade” is a typical post-TOTBL single, the type of a-side you’d expect to hear on Antics, and that’s no bad thing, as it’s both energetic and enthralling. Even if at times “Barricade” is guilty of cringe inducing sloganeering (“I Don’t Know Where The Blind Could Lead The Sightless”).

“Barricade”, fittingly, serves as a barricade between, the sorrow of “Lights” and the desperate defeatism of “Always Malaise (The Man I Am)”. The latter is utterly captivating as Banks vocal swirls spectrally about the arrangement, as he hauntingly croons “Always, Release Me Lover”. Again it sees Interpol doing what they do best; creating a richly textured heartbreaking arrangement and subtly layering in hook, after hook, building to one giant crescendo. “Always Maliase” is almost a begrudging pop song, doing its best to subvert its most infectiously elements, and never putting an obvious hook before a moving sweeping arrangement.

After such a well arranged and superb emotional crescendo, the finale of Interpol appears happy to meander with a gentle sense of resigned gloom. The texture and mood remains constant but the quality can’t quite match the album’s earlier heights, as Interpol appears happy to stay within tried and tested parameters. “Safe Without” is spacious and atmospheric, while “Try It On” mixes and matches intriguing instrumental elements without forging an end product that really stands out. “All Of The Ways” and “The Undoing” provide the now traditional descent into the epic, almost melodramatic, emotional depths that we’ve come to expect from our Interpol album closers. Monolith slabs of raw emotion, the arrangements swirl and swell but offer the listener little in the way of comfort or accessibility. Nonetheless as a conceptual ending to a dark and expressive LP they are certainly satisfying, if not overly memorable.

Interpol eight years after Turn On The Bright Lights appears to be it’s worthy heir. Interpol is a rich sorrowful album that possess a large arsenal of subtly crafted (and often well hidden) hooks. Despite Interpol’s penchant for hit making, the singles play second fiddle to a long winding emotional tapestry that weaves from “Success” to “The Undoing”. Rather than a collection A-sides and B-sides, Interpol is a satisfying listen from start to finish; the first truly cohesive LP that Interpol have release since their debut. For many this will be the immensely satisfying record that will symbolize the moment at which Interpol finally transitioned their original indie aesthetic into a gloriously polished major label sound (ironically after they’d been dropped by Parlophone). While Interpol is certainly a triumphant work, it falls short of brilliance as, almost ironically, they’ve moved too far in one direction. The downtrodden mood that dominates the record is so comprehensive it gives the listener little room to cut loose and have fun. You can’t help but feel this record was an “Obstacle 1”, “PDA”, “Heinrich Maneuver” or “Evil” away from perfection. As it is, Interpol is a satisfying return to the core sound and core values that made Interpol so ground breaking eight long years ago. One final hurrah for Carlos Dengler and the (quasi) original line up.

The 411: Interpol's decision to self title their fourth full LP proves fitting; as Interpol is a natural expression of the bands core sound and ethos. Dark, brooding, and emotionally rich; Interpol strongly recalls the band's staggering debut Turn On The Bright Lights. The emphasis here is on emotion and atmospherics, the hooks are secondary, but not insignificant. Interpol feels cohesive and focused, and as a result it is Interpol's most satisfying effort since their 2002's TOTBL. Despite recalling their debut, the textures and arrangements are richer and more complex; possessing the polish and sheen of the big leagues and top notch production. Interpol isn't perfect, and at times it feels over wrought, but as final stand for the TOTBL's lineup it's is both satisfying and successful, but most of all fitting.

Final Score:  8.0   [ Very Good ]