Bloc Party burst onto the indie music scene when they released their debut album, "Silent Alarm" in 2005. Following the success of Silent Alarm, the band was widely considered to be one of the best new acts out of Great Britain in recent years. Two years after Silent Alarm, Bloc Party enjoyed another warm reception from critics with their second studio album entitled "A Weekend in the City". Then, the band surprised everyone by quickly churning out a third studio album that took them in a new musical direction...
Bloc Party released "Intimacy" in 2008. The album was greeted with lukewarm reviews and was considered by many Bloc Party fans to be a "dud". The harsh reception occurred for two reasons:
1. Intimacy was a large musical departure from the first two albums
2. Intimacy was ahead of its time.
Bloc Party delved fully into the world of electro-infused indie rock for Intimacy. The album was drenched with synthesizers, drum machines, voice modulation, and everything else that has become commonplace for music in 2013. Essentially, Intimacy was a taste of 2013 in 2008. But, that was the problem. People weren't ready for the sound of Intimacy, and the album was largely dismissed.
Bloc Party pushed the proverbial envelope with Intimacy. The album was a masterful fusion of the worlds of rock and electronica. Bloc Party correctly identified the future of music, and then they beat everyone else to the punchline.
One of my favorite songs on the album, "Ion Square", is an ethereal ballad that builds wonderfully with layers of sound. Something about this particular song sticks with you; as the layers build and the final chorus bursts into life you can't help but feel the emotion in Kele Okereke's words:
"I carry your heart here with me. I carry it in my heart."
Although Intimacy never reached the popularity of "Silent Alarm" or "A Weekend in the City", the album was still a wonderful achievement. Intimacy helped usher in a new era of music. Perhaps the greatest aspect of the album is how well it translates in 2013. Take a listen for yourself. You might be surprised that the album was released more than 5 years ago:
Some highlights: Trojan Horse, Talons, Your Visits Are Getting Shorter, Biko, Letter to My Son, One Month Off
I don't know man. I tend to think of the Postal Service as a band that first tapped into the Electro/Indie/Pop genre that is so popular now. But, I'm sure this trend started even before them.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Forgot about Postal Service. PS was quite a bit more pop than rock, though. Bloc Party were the first mainstream rock band in my recollection to go very electro heavy. Either way, the success of PS had a strong influence on indie music and the movement towards electronica.
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