Review Summary: Interpol's poorly-produced attempt to finally change things up inadvertently proves where their strengths really lie.
In 2000, Interpol released an EP on an obscure Scottish label titled
Fukd ID 3, their first recorded demo. Among those four songs were two that would go on to become beloved staples when rerecorded two years later: “PDA” and “Roland.” Hearing them in their nascent form, however, they sound flat and weak - a far cry from the lush and powerful versions to be found on
Turn On the Bright Lights. While the songs themselves were classics-in-waiting, atmosphere and grandeur are so central to the core of Interpol’s sound that versions stripped of that beauty are almost unlistenable. Flash forward eighteen years, and the now middle-aged and world-weary band – the last New York rock revival act left standing – have chosen to strip away those accoutrements and once more let their songwriting stand on its own. Working with superstar producer David Fridmann, Interpol has rebranded on an extensive press tour as a revitalized band excelling within new analog limits in the studio.
Forebodingly, much of the new direction of the album comes from its production and mixing, rather than songwriting. Rather than stripping away anything, Fridmann adds layers of grime and mud to Interpol’s well-honed sound, making listening to
Marauder akin to watching a band rehearse for the first time in a few months: the playing is mistake-ridden, the tones aren’t quite right, and the levels are all over the place. Whereas even on the unpopular
Interpol the music at least sounded whole (if a bit flat), the sonic palette of
Marauder evokes four distinct paintings mashed together while the paint is still wet. Fortunately, Interpol remains too good a band for this to completely sink the record.
While his bandmates plug along like their normal selves, it’s guitarist Daniel Kessler who makes the greatest effort towards “rawness.” Unfortunately, Kessler, who has not been seen publicly in anything but a perfectly tailored suit since 2001, appears to be under the impression that a raw guitar riff is simply a normal one played poorly. Sloppy staccatos, intentionally missed notes, and thin, seedy tones provide most of the sonic meat to fairly typical Interpol songwriting, and the result is often a mess. The powerful confidence of even recent tracks like “Anywhere” from
El Pintor is nowhere to be seen in “Complications,” easily one of the worst songs the band has ever released. Meanwhile Paul Banks’ bass rumbles along almost inaudibly, so low in the mix that not a single line distinguishes itself. This is especially troubling considering that the drum track is distorted and turned way up. With a few exceptions, the vocals alternate between wheezing indecipherably and confident bellowing. Banks' lyrics here are more substantive than usual, reflecting on past indulgences in an often honest and sobering way. That being said, without the lyric pamphlet one will likely only absorb disjointed scraps of this newfound wisdom.
This is not to say that the album is completely devoid of quality; buried under these problems are a number of quite good songs. Opener “If You Really Love Nothing” is superb, rising above questionable mixing by sheer force of will. “Surveillance” and “It Probably Matters” similarly play to the band’s strengths with reliable and familiar chord progressions and strong vocal lines from Banks. What these songs have in common is that with cleaner production they could fit neatly onto
El Pintor. The two singles, "The Rover" and "Number 10" sound better within the context of the album, where their straightforwardness is a strength rather than a defect amid structureless messes like "Stay in Touch" and the aforementioned "Complications."
Based on the interviews that have surrounded this release,
Marauder reflects an earnest attempt to try something new by a band that has been unfairly dogged with criticism for homogeneity for sixteen years. Considering that they could have just as easily continued to release a new
El Pintor every four years for the foreseeable future, that’s to be commended. However, while this album proves that the group is talented enough to wrestle with hideous production and almost win, it inadvertently proves more clearly where Interpol’s strengths truly lie.
