Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

Hailed by the British press as one on the most exciting, fresh, brilliant....okay, I think I can stop that hyperbolic drivel. Every UK band it seems gets that press every 15 seconds and is then quickly disdained. For me, though, Bloc Party deserves all the accolades. What really drew me into this disc were a few things: the danceable arrangments of the songs, the sense of urgency in Kele's voice (particularly in "Price of Gas" and "Helicopter"), and the manic drumming of Matt Tong - how this guy does not have carpal tunnel syndrome I will never know. This album does sound like a group drawing of its influences to make their own distinct mark. But damn it, the journey is well worth it - from the blasting opening drum line of "Like Eating Glass" to the modern-pop salvos in "This Modern Love" to the rush you get when listening to "Luno". The alarm has been rung; move in to this Bloc.

An absolute riot of an album, mixing disco-art-punk pogo maelstroms like 'Helicopter' and 'Banquet' to lo-fi downtempo epics such as 'So Here We Are' and 'Blue Light'. An essential release that should be up for the Mercury in September.