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Music reviews |
Interpol - Turn On the Bright Lights
Yes, we know about their influences. But just listen to the record - they're as good as the bands they're channeling.
Matador Records
Release date: 8/20/02
Rating: B1. Untitled 3:56
2. Obstacle 1 4:11
3. NYC 4:19
- (mp3 from Matador)
4. PDA 4:59
- (mp3 from Matador)
5. Say Hello to the Angels 4:28
6. Hands Away 3:05
7. Obstacle 2 3:47
8. Stella Was a Diver and She
Was Always Down 6:27
9. Roland 3:35
10. The New 6:07
11. Leif Erikson 4:00Yes, they’re hyped as part of some New York “scene.” Yes, they pay too much attention to their outfits and haircuts. Yes, they sound like Joy Division. (In fact, a Google search for "turn on the bright lights" and "joy division" just yielded 3,810 results. Now it’ll be 3,811.)
Just listen to Turn On the Bright Lights, though. You’ll get past all that immediately with this, the band’s first full-length record. While it’s hard to get past the “scene” crap with say, the Strokes – the buzz around that band seems to hum in the background of their aptly named Is This It – Interpol’s music does more to promote the band than any hipster PR ever could. While the comparisons to Joy Division and several other circa-1980 post-punk bands are apt, Interpol actually write songs and play them as well as Ian Curtis and co. did back then – in some cases, better.
The first moments of the album are all it takes to sweep away the hype, as the “Untitled” opener, a dream-pop beauty worthy of Nowhere-era Ride, greets you with swirling guitars and bass. “I will surprise you sometimes, and come around,” is the only lyric, languidly repeated by vocalist Paul Banks.
It is followed by the drum-and-guitar attack of “Obstacle 1,” probably one of the most derivative tracks on the record, but also one of the most successful. Despite some of the most depressing lyrics you’ll ever hear, which Banks sings in a low register just like the bands Interpol so artfully rips off (um, “evokes”), the quick tempo and unusual structure (new guitar parts and melodies keep popping up) make the song hugely addictive.
Next comes the slowed-down, reverb-heavy strumming of “NYC,” mixing shimmering guitar noise, lead and backing vocals to hypnotic effect. “PDA” is the almost danceable standout track, with its “We have two hundred couches where you can sleep tonight” chorus repeating in an Echo and the Bunnymen haze, then shifting into a gorgeous major-key guitar meltdown that recalls Daydream Nation-era Sonic Youth. While “Say Hello to the Angels” remains in the same gloomy mode, the prominent guitar for some reason reminds me of the Jam’s “A Town Called Malice.”
Interpol don’t keep up the intensity throughout the album’s length, though. The second half isn’t as compelling: the songs are pretty enough, but they just tend not to rise from the murk like the already mentioned tracks do so well. “Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down” is an exception, though it too meanders a bit too long. What saves it are the song’s last two minutes, as a beguiling guitar motif mixes with Banks’ last quietly-sung verse. Songs like “Hands Away” or “The New,” however, don’t seem to go anywhere or do anything.
It’s remarkable that this is a debut full-length from a band that had been together for perhaps three years when they recorded it. It’s reasonable to hope that in the band’s next outing, the influences will become less dominant, and the stronger tracks won’t so obviously dominate the weaker ones.
The genius of Turn On the Bright Lights’ best songs, like those of Closer or Unknown Pleasures, is that they somehow manage to be melancholy and euphoric at the same time. On tracks like “PDA” and “NYC,” strong songwriting and studio wizardry combine to make even depressing songs soar. Their ability to do that is what makes Interpol’s music so much more than mimicry. You feel like you’ve heard it before, but Interpol does it so well that who cares?
