If you hadn’t noticed, the ’80s are back. Put on your slip-on shoes and your fake tuxedo shirt and head out to your local record store to check out the new Interpol CD. Interpol is one of the most pleasant surprises to come out of New York since the Strokes, and is currently making quite a buzz with the passionate post-punk sound of their debut album. Turn on the Bright Lights.
Interpol’s latest brings back a sound produced nearly two decades ago by Echo and the Bunnymen, Mission of Burma, and most importantly Joy Division (although none of the band members really list them as an influence), reminiscent of Ian Curtis’s impassioned vox.
Daniel Kessler (guitar and background vocals) and Carolos Dengler (bass, keyboard and background vocals), who were both NYU students at the time, started up the band in 1998. Kessler soon invited Paul Banks (guitar and lead vocals), a friend from time spent in France, and Sam Fogarino (drums) to complete the band.
Although Interpol’s initial success was in Europe, probably due to its “British” sound, the American public is now discovering the band. Well, kind of. If you caught Interpol’s three-song EP that came out July 4, you got a taste of this sharp debut. With engaging tracks such as “PDA,” “NYC” and “Specialist,” listeners wanted more, which would come in August in the form of Turn on the Bright Lights. Matador Records, the people that brought us Pavement and Guided by Voices, discovered the band that went without a label for far too long.
Turn on the Bright Lights starts with an almost completely instrumental untitled song that lulls the listener right from the start with beautifully intertwined guitars that continue throughout the album, showing Kessler and Banks’ combined melodic aptitude. The second song, “Obstacle 1,” is an album highlight, with Banks passionately asserting, “Her stories are boring and stuff.” Interpol makes such a simple line work well.
The album continues with “NYC”, which is by far the strongest point on the album, showcasing the dulcet beauty of which Interpol is capable. Although the rest of the album can’t quite hold up to the allure NYC has, it’s most definitely worth the listen. The songs grow on you, and that’s saying a lot since many of the songs are instantly likeable. Turn On The Bright Lights has an innovative sound for our time. It may bring you back to the ’80s, but in this case, that’s a good thing.
