In a world where bands like Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, and Nickleback blatantly rip off the greatest bands of the last decade, and in a world where retro rock is making a comeback in the form of The White Stripes, The Hives, and their corporate counterparts The Strokes and The Vines, we have Interpol. While all those other bands are trying so hard to be the bands that influenced them, Interpol is the band that will be doing the influencing.
They are a band for 2002/2003. While Puddle of Mudd is doing their best to be an early ‘90’s grunge band and The Strokes are trying to be The Velvet Underground, Interpol is trying to be themselves. Their reverb drenched, huge sounding, full guitars weaving in, out and around your mind. The bass and drums move the songs along at a good pace. Not fast and not slow, but still a driving force. You are satisfied when a song ends. You don’t feel cheated that it ended so fast, nor do you feel the need to hit the skip button because it drags on. The strong crooning vocals have a perfect presence in the songs. Rarely quick rock vocals, but moving along slowly, methodically, and melodically.
Interpol is like none other. They won’t remind your parents of their childhood, or the alternative radio of the ‘90’s. But when your kids ask you what music was like in 2002/2003 you’ll be able to pull out Interpol, put it in the CD player, and listen to music that you’ll be proud to say you listened to. This isn’t the flavor of the week. It’s the flavor of the decade.
Mark Brandt - Buzzgrinder.com
Article comments
1 - san
Interpol is great; I can't wait for their sophomore album. But I think of all the bands oft mentioned in the same sentence -- The Strokes, The Hives, The White Stripes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- The White Stripes and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs do have something unique going for them.
2 - Madperc
Don't think I don't like Interpol, because I listen to them constantly, but they are sort of trying to be a kinder, gentler, more modern Joy Division. Not that so many people tolerate the dour artistry of Joy Division, anyway.
3 - BJ
I really like Interpol, but I like it because it always reminds me of h.s. and college, and especially a handful of friends that were really into Joy Division, the Cure, Bauhaus and all those bands. (We're talking 1984-1991 here.)
The good news is that all of the bands we're talking about here are better than the bands that were emerging a few years ago. And that's hopeful.