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Dealing with expectation is one thing, delivering upon its promise is another. Who needs foresight? Stepping out of the shadow of 'Silent Alarm' should have proved to be impossible, yet Bloc Party haven’t tentatively stepped out on their return, they've confidently strode.
There's no escaping 'A Weekend in the City' is decidedly more downbeat than its predecessor. 'Kreuzberg' and 'SXRT' draw heavily on the shimmering blueprint of 'Plans' and 'So Here We Are' accentuating their already elaborate effect and as such, the legacy of 'Silent Alarm' is poignantly prevalent. Much in the same way their debut wasn’t an album of brimming with staccato guitar bursts or 10 or so different variations of 'Helicopter', 'A Weekend...' entirely dispenses with the flailing, immediate, three minute guitar dynamic and draws on an introspective listen.
Taking the same downbeat dynamic, it emerges as much of a slow burning success as Silent Alarm. There's progression here also, with the stammering tempo and monotone cathedral chant of 'The Prayer' a cheeky red herring of album expectation. It’s as far removed from anything they’ve ever done and aspects of it – like the monk chanting and ethereal vocals - straddle most of the album.
'Song for Clay (Disappear Here)' sets a foreboding tone as Kele barks "East London is a Vampire, it sucks the joy right out of me" as they outline an ominous sounding mean streak. While 'Song For Clay' bares its teeth, the Aphex Twin style glitch of 'Hunting For Witches’ itches with truncated sound clips and morphing, staggered guitar before gradually evolving into the albums first restless indie disco filler.
'Waiting for the 7.18' sounds positively forlorn in the company of the opening two songs and is the first sign of the albums softer underbelly. Xylophone adds a touch of sweetness before the guitar tumbles and melts into the soft, rising number we're accustomed to. 'Uniform' continues in a similarly rich vein with delicate guitar melodies skirting around Kele's vocals before they abandon any sense of understatement and launch into a riff rife with power chord defiance and a searing, near tooth picked solo.
'On' and 'Where is Home?' allow for some recovery time and slow the tempo down. Strings and typically fidgety but somewhat understated drumming from Matt Tong carry the song, while Kele's vocals take on an ethereal quality and a howling at the moon falsetto shakes 'Where is Home?' into awkward life.
'On' and 'Where is Home?' allow for some recovery time and slow the tempo down. Strings and typically fidgety but somewhat understated drumming from Matt Tong carry the song, while Kele's vocals take on an ethereal quality and a howling at the moon falsetto shakes 'Where is Home?' into awkward life.
There’s a luxurious quality to the album. The melodies linger that bit longer; the vocals are afforded those extra seconds to resonate and Kele’s divine ability to deliver lines like no one else remains wonderfully dramatic. Unabashed lines like: "I'll love you in the morning/when you're still hungover" and "Let's drive to Brighton on the weekend" highlight his ability to capture simple sentiments perfectly and as Kele howls "Tonight I crave what's mine," on 'The Prayer' you cant help but feel there's a new statement of intent.
It seems Bloc Party have got their art down to a science - engineering and nurturing swelling mini masterpieces. 'Kreuzberg' and closer 'SXRT' display a polish and maturity that's a far cry from the blaze of belligerent guitar tracks they used to announce themselves to the world. That they've been prepared to distance themselves from them so soon is a sign of progression in itself.
You might be thinking that it all sounds like a bit of history repeated but Bloc Party set quite a landmark first time round. Who knows, maybe the third album will be the floor filler that some initially craved? Critically, that argument is already redundant because Bloc Party have hit upon the realisation they can, and should become, the biggest band in the world. And if they haven’t yet...no doubt the rest of the world will do it for them.
You might be thinking that it all sounds like a bit of history repeated but Bloc Party set quite a landmark first time round. Who knows, maybe the third album will be the floor filler that some initially craved? Critically, that argument is already redundant because Bloc Party have hit upon the realisation they can, and should become, the biggest band in the world. And if they haven’t yet...no doubt the rest of the world will do it for them.
