Bloc Party
Silent Alarm
Vice (2005)
Hype generates a high death count, because critics are merciless. Bands with ridiculous amounts of hype seem to have big white signs with bold red lettering that spell out "KICK ME" on their backs. When these particular bands do not deliver, every minor insufficiency is exacerbated to squelch them out of existence. Giving them a fair listen is nearly impossible, because there are so many preconceived notions dashing about. Even with a critical mind, however, Bloc Party appear to live up to most of their hype. Musically precise, well thought out, with almost immaculate delivery, Bloc Party's songs manage to sound fresh without being too refined and manufactured. They take some cues from Franz Ferdinand, who they have been constantly linked to as a result of sending an early demo, by skimming away all the excess noise and notes in their songs leaving only the necessities to create the strong debut album Silent Alarm. They are quite passionate with their rails against conformity, politics, and relationships, but they are short-changed on solutions - as is the flaw of many other bands. Beginning with the visceral "Like Eating Glass," Bloc Party prove they are not another frivolous "next big thing" band. … Read more
Annihilation Time
II
Six Weeks (2005)
For the past few years these ragers have been taking their brand of Bl'ast-influenced punk all over the world. Their … Read more
The Letters Organize
Dead Rhythm Machine
Nitro (2005)
Right off the bat, you know what it's going to be. They're not the first and they definitely won't be … Read more
