“I’m trying to be heroic.” The first words sung by vocalist Kele Okereke on Bloc Party’s A Weekend in the City (V2 Records) foreshadow the desperation that permeates the entire album.
This somewhat contradicts the state that the band is in, however. They’ve already proven themselves. Their debut album, Silent Alarm, was a monstrous success, selling platinum in the UK and making tidal waves in the U.S. indie rock scene.
So why the sudden cry for acceptance? Perhaps it stems from the fact that the hype has died down since the last record. But someone should tell them that there’s no need to vie for our attention all over again. We never stopped looking. A Weekend in the City is one of 2007’s first great albums, and it deserves every bit of hype that’s been thrown at the band in the past.
Okereke’s sly British charm and amazing vocal flexibility are what sell the album from its start. His slow, spectral falsetto at the beginning of “Song For Clay (Disappear Here)” gives an idea of the direction the band has taken since Silent Alarm. The album’s first single, “The Prayer,” showcases the aspects that make the band click—beautiful vocals, brilliant guitar sounds, and a perfect rhythm section. Comparisons to Sonic Youth and Gang of Four are bound to happen, but there are few better bands in their genre that compare.
Bloc Party has formed a comfortable niche in the indie rock soundscape. When they end A Weekend in the City with Okereke singing “Tell my mother I’m sorry, and I loved her,” it isn’t consolation he should be given, but an ovation.
– Mike Affholder
Bloc Party (V2 Records)