Interpol - Self Titled

Released: 09.10.2010

I knew little of the band. I knew Interpol were an indie band from New York and every once in a while I would hear them mentioned on satellite radio, maybe Guitar Hero World Tour, but it wasn’t until I heard The Heinrich Maneuver off of Our Love To Admire that I was totally smitten with the driving bass lines and awesome vocals, but I never went out and purchased a full CD. I guess you can say I am not “a real fan”, but I wanted to be. When I saw their new self titled CD out, I jumped at the chance.
Pros
The most intriguing part of this band, to me, was the pulsating bass lines. If you aren’t the dancing type, these made you take notice. The fifth track - Barricade is a perfect example of the rhythm section perfectly in tune with the vocals. This is definitely my favorite track and what I envisioned would make up the rest of the CD. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
Cons
The rest of the CD was not what I had hoped or expected. It is keyboard heavy. I have nothing against keyboards in a band, but they definitely made this recording a mood piece. I DO have a problem with the keyboard playing whole notes and ambient noises, which dominates all of the other tracks. This style is not my preference and I was disappointed. I normally spin a CD (really it’s ripped onto a playlist) for about a week before I attempt to write about it. This one made it two days.
Alternative Recommendation
This CD is for the diehard fan. Unfortunately, I do not qualify. What I did do was purchase Antics, an earlier album and LOVED IT! I’m hoping I can work myself through their catalog and eventually appreciate this one. I also read that bassist Carlos D has left the band. After listening to the latest and compared it to the older CD, I don’t blame him. As a bassist, I would be bored out of my mind playing these tracks live.