II

#2
Bloc Party – Silent Alarm

NME’s album of the year comes in as the runner up…cant have them being right!”. This is a great album nonetheless which is musically, a cut above from the rest of the current brit rock revolution. These London boys show how its done with an amazing spectacle of an album. Right from the outset ‘Like Eating Glass’ which rocks the foundations for the following trail of anthems to come. Their Spiky guitar sound is original and with the duelling guitars on many tracks such as ‘Banquet’, this has an even greater effect.

Songs which you hear first time round and just listen in awe are aplenty here, ‘Helicopter’ beats the pants off any other rock track this year and ‘She’s Hearing Voices’ provide the years most intriguing lyrics (I gave up trying to understand them and resorted to the internet..tut tut). The Jewel in the crown is ‘Positive Tension’ a track which lulls you for 3/4 of its running time, them blasts into action with loud guitars and plenty of special effects makes this my album pick track.

Also to prove they are not totally one dimensional they can turn a deft hand to balladry too. ‘The Bluest Light’ and ‘So Here We Are’ can outdo Westlife at their own game given the opportunity. This album well deserves it’s place at the head of NME’s list but it seems so long ago since its release, it has slipped down ever so slightly in mine. Not Quite The Favourite Track: Banquet – Duelling guitar glory