- Artist
- Bloc Party
- Label
- Wichita
- Release date
- 5th February 2007
- Genre
- Indie
It's often said that if you don't have much to say, it's better to say nothing. With their first album, the universally acclaimed Silent Alarm, London indie four-piece Bloc Party put this adage to full effect. Over a blistering, punk-funk rhythm section and duelling, angular guitars, frontman Kele Okereke wailed Robert Smith-like obscure lyrics with oblique references to alienation, paranoia and all round hacked off-ness. Lord knows what he was actually wanging on about - or where the tunes were for that matter.
A new approach has been taken for the much anticipated, Jackknife Lee produced A Weekend In The City. An attempt at tunes is in, post-punk is out, and Okereke has decided to become a spokesman and write something of a "concept" album, centred around life in London. He goes straight for the jugular with his subjects: eg. terrorist witch hunts (Hunting For Witches), immigration (Where Is Home?), conformity (Uniform), being gay (we assume this is a self "outing" on Kreuzberg and I Still Remember) and anti-depressants (SRXT).
Unfortunately, while Okereke is undoubtedly qualified to comment on such subjects, he merely describes and moans, rather than attempting to bring an insight or interesting perspective to such issues. Despite attempted world-weariness, each song feels like an irritating whine by a sixth former eager to get his A Levels out of the way.
Bloc Party still struggle with a tune for most of this album too, although the highlights - recent single The Prayer, and On - see the band finally nailing something approaching chorus melodies that stick in your head. It is also on such tracks that the band display a more tender, personal side, rather than trying to make "the grand statement" every time - and it is here you can finally warm to Bloc Party. On sees Okereke vulnerably admitting the charms of cocaine ("You make my tongue loose, I am hopeful and stutter-free, I can charm them all"). Other highlights include the glockenspiel-led Waiting For The 7.18 and SRXT which both resemble Arcade Fire at their epic best. But sadly, much else of A Weekend... is awash with the blandness, and the lack of sex or swagger, of the blustering excesses of emo.
After the vagueness of Silent Alarm, Bloc Party are now tripping over themselves to say something important. But another adage says that it's not what you say but the way that you say it. They'd do well to remember that for the third album.
