Album Rating: 5.0

Album is a classic in my book. Banquet is so danceable

Album Rating: 4.0

Album is too cool for school! Definitely front loaded though, always find myself falling off a bit after This Modern Love. It's bloody good though!

Album Rating: 5.0

I feel you, the first half is so damn good. I still love it as a whole…

Album Rating: 4.5

uh why did this band have to fall off so hard



drummer did so much for them as well

Album Rating: 4.5

saw him play with algiers the other night and he's still a fucking beast

Album Rating: 4.5

thats good to hear. wasnt even aware he was in another band



when i looked him up a thread about him and a podcast interview re. why he left bloc party came up



apparently the summary is :



He said he found it extremely difficult to drum the way he did. When they took a break in 2009-2012, he tried to play some of Silent Alarm on drums and really struggled.



He said when they met up in 2010 at Russell's house, he was already planning on telling them that he was quitting, but didn't want to make a scene and the conversation led to them discussing how well Foals were doing (random) and they sounded similar to them. They discussed Matt just recording the album and figuring out a replacement when touring came, but by that point he decided he might as well tour it.



Eventually it really weighed down on his mental health and there was a lot of psychological baggage that made it difficult for them to focus on a task collectively, which lead him to quit when he did.



He says they didn't openly discuss how they were coping with the band in terms of mental health, and he reflects that he doesn't know if discussing it would have led to a different outcome of that iteration of the band.



He also mentioned he's so grateful for his time in the band and that he is able to pretty much live off the royalties of his contributions to the band.



He still talks to Gordon fairly regularly and is close friends. He met up with Russell a few years ago in New York and they occasionally talk, but there is sometimes a bit of awkwardness with the fact that he is still in BP. He hasn't spoken to Kele since he quit, but any bad blood that existed around the time of quitting has since evaporated, and if they bumped into each other in the street he would have a pint with him and hope he feels the same way.

Album Rating: 4.5

im feeling very nostalgic for the early-mid 2000s british indie scene right now

that's because ur a noughtie boy

Album Rating: 4.0

me too

Album Rating: 4.5

Some of the best drumming in the genre is on this bad boy, pretty satisfied knowing he can just coast off the royalties. Well deserved

yeah the drumming on this album is amazing

Album Rating: 4.0

rules

Album Rating: 4.0

“so here we are” still gives me chills

Same

Album Rating: 4.5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNOess_25kQ



matt tong talking about back in the day etc etc etc. seems like a very cool guy.

Album Rating: 4.0

Yeah i watched that. It basically confirmed what everyone already knew. Kele is a dick.

Album Rating: 4.5

lol yeah that was a big theme of the interview





i also liked it when he slagged off Boygenius and called them anemic

Album Rating: 4.0

I think he more meant in the context of them selling an arena out, like how are they justifying the ticket prices with their show production, not the actual music but I could've got that wrong.

Album Rating: 4.5

na he criticises their music as well lol



calls them anemic and shit if i remember correctly



but youre right they were brought up in context of the arena shows

Album Rating: 4.5

Been listening to this a lot since I'm about to see them on their 20th anniversary tour playing through all of the album. What a record.