Bloc Party – Alpha Games (LP Red Vinyl)
Alpha Games is a reconfiguration of sorts. It’s not imitating the earlier works in Bloc Party’s catalog so much as it is building from them. Produced by Adam Greenspan and Nick Launay (IDLES, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nick Cave), their latest creation is an exceptional addition to their arsenal. The pounding reverberation on the opening “Day Drinker” causes lead vocalist Kele Okereke to work in harmony with it and not against it. The singer is as steadfast and melodic as ever. He shares his flaws with stark self-awareness: “[Little bro] says he knows when I’ve been drinking/He says he knows when I am lost.”
Soon, the instrumentation follows suit. Descending guitar riffs get heavier toward the end of the song, leaving listeners wanting just the perfect amount of more. The lead single from Alpha Games, “Traps,” clocks in at just under three minutes and boasts a tag line of “I wanna be your contact high.”
The more dulcet “You Should Know the Truth” directly follows, providing a sense of balance. “Rough Justice,” with its lackadaisical but well-cadenced chorus (“We be kind of choosy/Put us in the movie/First in the jacuzzi/Gang gang all the way”), confronts the duality public figures innately embody: perfection on the surface with sinister rumblings underneath. “The Girls Are Fighting” — with its call and response chants and monstrous drumming — channels Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll,” making it the ideal arena performance track. “Sex Magik” isn’t as libidinous as implied, but Okereke still spells out the desires which render him powerless.
Alpha Games ends with the somber and stripped-down “The Peace Offering,” in which he declares he isn’t dependent on others to achieve equilibrium. The biggest takeaway is that Bloc Party’s discography — which spans nearly two decades — illustrates the need to experiment, grow and ultimately evolve without the approval or acceptance of others. This fiery display of resilience emphasizes one of the best qualities they have. When it comes to making music, the group will always trust their instincts. Getting the world to understand… well, that’s just part of the fun.
Label: Infectious Music – INFECT669ELP
Country: Worldwide
Media Condition: Mint (M)
Sleeve Condition: Mint (M)
Sealed