INTERPOL- Antics

As 2002 rolled around the music scene was pretty grim and depressing, and for once this was a bad thing. Whereas in the early to mid 90s, grim and depressing represented my favorite type of music (devoted TRC readers know that the gloomy, depressing offerings of grunge music are very much my cup of tea); in the late 90s and early 2000s bare and depressing meant that good music was extremely hard to find. A quick inspection of the music scene brought into view several very unfortunate trends in rock music. Mainstream/radio rock, which was represented by all time favorite bands Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana and others in past years ago was now playing the likes of Nickelback, Taking Back Sunday, and Korn. The dominant genres were no longer the grunge and alternative music that was so dear to me. 2002 was a huge year for what I call the triple threat of bad music- corporate rock (i.e. Nickelback, Three Doors Down, and Staind), Emo (Taking Back Sundays, Something Corporate, and Dashboard Confessional), and Nu-Metal (Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Linkin Park).

As I was shying away from mainstream rock, I couldn’t turn to pop music, which was not nearly as good as what the 90s had to offer. The budding electronica scene of the late 90s also did not appeal to me. Even formerly reliable alternative relics from the 90s were somewhat disappointing, with REM (Reveal) and Radiohead (Amnesiac) producing material I could no longer relate to. Punk rock was tolerable at this time, with good releases by Jimmy Eat World and Sum 41 playing on the radio. However, punk was always something I only dabbled in and was never something I could consistently listen to. Lastly, I wasn’t into the indie scene at this time, and hadn’t heard of popular releases by Wilco, Spoon and others. To say that it was an awaiting the next big release in music would be an understatement. Around the climax of my frustration, I stumbled by a song called “Obstacle 1”, by Interpol. That song started a borderline unhealthy obsession with the band.

As amazing that Turn on the Bright Lights was, Antics is much better. I will always respect TOTBL, for being the first. However the growth from the record to Interpol’s sophomore effort was profound. I know that many critics think otherwise, always expecting a metamorphosis like the one that saw Radiohead follow up OK Computer with Kid A to rate two in a row albums highly. At the same time when the critics rest their egos they would all admit that Antics makes for a much more satisfying and catchy listen. Where on TOTBL is there anything near the caliber of “Evil,” “Narc,” or “Slow Hands?” It is truly Interpol’s increased pop sensibility that makes Antics one of my favorite albums of all time. TOTBL made for a dark, gloomy, and somewhat difficult listen. Antics keeps most of the dark and gloomy but adds an unexpected word- groovy.

Much like TOTBL, this album is what it is because of the delightfully sparse and choppy guitar work of Daniel Kessler on lead guitar and the ever enigmatic bass virtuoso Carlos D. It is not surprising that Rolling Stone recently voted Carlos the second best bassist out there. It is rare that a bassist has so much impression on a band, as Carlos D has on Interpol. Stellar drum work adds heavily to the brilliance of this album as well. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, are the underrated vocals of Paul Banks. Often derided as a derivative follower of Ian Curtis, Paul Banks breathed new life into his pipes for this album. Obviously Curtis, and Joy Division/New Order were a massive influence on Interpol. It is not hard however to define acute differences between the two vocalists. Banks’ vocals feel much less distant than Curtis’; also they are much less distorted and a lot more prominent in the music. Another difference, which may be debated by some, Banks’ vocals are a lot better than Curtis’.

The top three songs on the album, as I mentioned before, are “Evil,” “Narc,” and “Slow Hands.” You would be hard pressed to find three songs of this caliber on any record. Indeed the only other record with three songs in my all time top 40 songs are all time favorites Jar of Flies and Nevermind. “Evil’s" chorus is simply infectious, with incredible vocals and an uncharacteristically dancey beat. “Narc” is made by Carlos D’s dominant bass riff and also features an epic sounding, ultra-catchy chorus. “Slow Hands” managed to force its way onto the notoriously recalcitrant (at least towards indie) billboard rock charts. This simply is one of my favorite tracks of all time. The play between the lead guitar and bass guitar is astonishing and Banks’ vocals again are at their best. The rest of the crop is incredibly solid, and there is not one song of filler on here. The two other stand-out tracks are the pounding yet elegant "Public Pervert,"

1. Next Exit- 8.1

2. Evil- 9.7

3. Narc- 10

4. Take You on a Cruise- 8.7

5 Slow Hands- 9.9

6. Not Even Jail- 7.4

7. Public Pervert- 9.1

8. Cmere- 7.5

9. Length of Love- 7.7

10. A Time to be so Small- 6.7

Overall Score- 9.9- More diverse, refined, and memorable than its predecessor

Updated: 07/03/08