I caught Bloc Party at The Grove in Anaheim, California 4 months back. As well as the usual hits off Silent Alarm, they played quite a few new songs from the then upcoming A Weekend in the City. I wasn't feeling the new stuff, at all. Maybe the sound was bad that night? Maybe they were still working out how to play the new songs live? Who knows. I thought I'd wait for the proper album to be released before passing any judgement. After all, it's happened before. I've heard many songs live that were shit only to fall in love with the studio version released later.
At first listen, I still couldn't get my head around A Weekend in the City. Just thought it was a bit boring. It didn't have the punch the last record had. Was Bloc Party going soft on me? Turns out not. This new release is a slow grower. Every time I listen to it, it gets better and better. It's gotten to the point where I think A Weekend in the City is every bit as good as Silent Alarm. Just in a different way. And that's good, right?
Song for Clay is a track I detested at first. But the chorus has now hooked me in and won't let go. Hunting for Witches is nothing but filler. Throwing on Waiting for the 7:18 and On in the presence of a lady-friend might help you pull a little easier. Lead single The Prayer is a song I can't shake from my head even though I don't particularly like it. Kreuzberg, the best track barr-none, is a stunner. Epic in a Snow Patrol sort of way. I Still Remember and Sunday are proper Bloc Party songs. Perfect.
Bloc Party's second major release, A Weekend in the City will be instantly loved by their fans. The rest of you will have to give this record a little time to grow on you. Because it surely will.
Kreuzberg, I Still Remember, and Sunday
What next?More by Bloc Party? More reviews? More indie?