Interpol - El Pintor
El Pintor
Interpol
Tiger Rating: 8.5/10
Indie Noir
It's been twelve years since this New York four piece first growled, mumbled and snarled their way into our hearts. At the peak of their game they were bold but never cocky, refined but not stuck up and had just enough charm and wit to stand out from the rest of their New York based, New Order obsessed post punk revivalists (Editors, The National and the Strokes I'm looking at you). At the bottom of the game they were synth indulgent weirdos trying too hard.
On El Pintor they return to their underground club roots with a record that celebrates, in urgent fashion, their heyday. From semi-fratic opener 'All The Rage Back Home' they set the pace and the mood. It's is mostly unchanging, with only the two closing tracks ('Tidal Wave' and 'Twice As Hard') faltering miserably before quite passing the finish ribbon. But even Interpol's misery is cool.
It's dark and moody as ever here. Guitars screech and wail, bass and kick drums pound unfaltering and Banks' Placebo-esque vocals are as snotty, sneering and occasionally beautiful as ever.
Some tracks like 'My Desire' are drawn out spectacularly. 'Anywhere', with it's distinctly Strokes reminiscent opening riff courtesy of Kessler's Fender, is possibly the most well balanced track on the album. Perhaps the most surprising track on the album is 'My Blue Supreme'. It's moody, borders on disco at times and drunkenly staggers forward with a falsetto and growly duet of vocals (both provided by Paul Banks?). It grows on you like mushrooms in a dark room.
Lyrically Banks never strays far from his tried and tested paths that lead through darkly lit hallways of human emotions. Interpol never quite sinks into despair. Rather they flirt with it. There's a certain come hither glance they throw at misery. When misery comes in, it's a NYC mosh pit, where what you're wearing and knowing the lyrics is as important as who you are and why you're there.
It's effortless, cool and edgy as ever. More mature than their debut and deeper than 'Antics', El Pintor is one album I'm going to find hard to retire from rotation.
WVS
Some tracks like 'My Desire' are drawn out spectacularly. 'Anywhere', with it's distinctly Strokes reminiscent opening riff courtesy of Kessler's Fender, is possibly the most well balanced track on the album. Perhaps the most surprising track on the album is 'My Blue Supreme'. It's moody, borders on disco at times and drunkenly staggers forward with a falsetto and growly duet of vocals (both provided by Paul Banks?). It grows on you like mushrooms in a dark room.
Lyrically Banks never strays far from his tried and tested paths that lead through darkly lit hallways of human emotions. Interpol never quite sinks into despair. Rather they flirt with it. There's a certain come hither glance they throw at misery. When misery comes in, it's a NYC mosh pit, where what you're wearing and knowing the lyrics is as important as who you are and why you're there.
It's effortless, cool and edgy as ever. More mature than their debut and deeper than 'Antics', El Pintor is one album I'm going to find hard to retire from rotation.
WVS
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