Antics (MP3 Download)

The title of Interpol's second album, ANTICS, may conjure up images of carefree adventure, but anyone familiar with the New York City band's brooding post-punk sound knows that there's nothing lighthearted about their music. Although it's not a radical departure, ANTICS does reveal a broadening of the group's sonic palette. The opening track, "Next Exit," is a slowly building, piano-laden anthem, marked by singer Paul Banks's remarkably widened vocal range and strangely hopeful lyrics. Clearly the group is eager to move beyond the endless Joy Division comparisons they previously garnered, and this bid works to wonderful effect. Of course, many of the elements that made their debut, TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS, so entrancing--soaring guitar riffs, tight bass lines, frenetic drumming--are still present, particularly on "Narc" and "Slow Hands," but even these tracks aren't merely content to repeat past glories. A solid album that improves upon its predecessor, ANTICS sees Interpol shaking off the mixed blessing of being the Next Big Thing, and hitting a new creative stride.