Review Summary: Trying to be heroic in an age of modernity
Being a teenager is a constant struggle to find an identity between the shades of a possible bright future. "Do you want to gain lots of money or work with what you love?" is a question that almost everyone asks when you're almost becoming an adult and turning into yourself. With so much pressure and internal struggles, it's hard not to give in to the clichéd escapisms of the modern youth. So, figure this: a London boy, fighting his way out of that English routine he hates so much, breaking every mold and taking a stand to what he thinks it's wrong in society, but not to his own desires and impulses, hiding himself in "one night stands" and drugs. That's the story of Bloc Party's second album, A Weekend in the City.
With their debut album, Silent Alarm, they established themselves as a danceable indie rock band with strong influences of Gang of Four and The Cure, being critically acclaimed for their energy and unpredictability. But, going against their peers (that continued with lesser versions of their first album's sound on the next ones), Bloc Party managed to break the chain and infused post punk tendencies to their overall sound and song themes. Even if it still has a sense of urgency that was typical of the band's debut album, it's a denser experience not only in its atmosphere, but also in its lyrical themes. And even if "Hunting for Witches", for example, has a dance punk riff and gorgeous drums to keep the casual listener entertained, it's the poignant lyrics about terrorist attacks and the society's ***ed up sense of justice that give substance to the song.
That depth in the vocalist Kele Okereke's lyrics is solidified by its references about places and events in London, and even literature, like in "Song for Clay(Dissappear Here)", which is based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel Less Than Zero. These little references intend to put you right in the middle of London's eccentricities and make up the scenes for the narrator's conflicts, a technique used by many Britpop bands like Blur and Pulp, but used in a more individualistic way, even though the most intimate song here, "Kreuzberg", used Germany references to do metaphors about Kele's to-be-revealed homosexuality. And these confessional lyrics are the key point to the album's success, like when Kele criticize racism/xenophobia ("Where's Home?") and youth's apathy("Uniform").
And that mood change between attacking the outside world and dealing with personal problems is complemented by a guitar work that swings through blazing riffs and delicate, post punk-ish atmospheres, reinforcing the album's indecision about its feelings. It's notable how the band started to work together to create a consistent soundscape and almost abandoned the shifting dynamics of their first album, where you could clearly see which band member stood out in a song.
A Weekend in the City is a revealing album, that gives a deeper sight of what it is to be a conflicted teenager, passing through the trials and tribulations of growing up. It's also a great way to get lost in London's urban life, issues, seductive pleasures, and merge on its freeway. Dissappear here.
Standout Tracks:
Song for Clay (Dissappear Here)
Hunting for Witches
Uniform
Kreuzberg
(it was added to the album on a re-release, but jam Flux too)
