After the city paranoia of their last album, with their third, Bloc Party seem determined to dance away the heartache. Drawing inspiration from the big beat of a decade ago, Intimacy begins with “Ares” , a crash of Chemical Brothers drums, and the sound of their fanbase considering a run to the hills.
In truth, though, there’s not too much here to alarm the undergraduate population. “Mercury” is a decidedly aggressive single, certainly, but “One Month Off” is a quality “Banquet” rewrite, while throughout the Jacknife Lee/Paul Epworth production, there’s an air of slightly hedged bets. A policy tweak, then, if not a new manifesto.
JOHN ROBINSON
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