The International Police of Solemnity

It is such a satisfying feeling when a band that you have been following for years discovers their true sound and fully exploits their strengths. I felt this way when I listened to the Yeah Yeah Yeah's It's Blitz! last year, and I felt the same way two weeks ago when my earholes were first filled with the melancholy rock of Interpol's recent self-titled album.

Interpol has always been on my radar, since Turn on the Bright Lights in 2002. The band's taut bass throb and snare-happy drums have consistently contrasted harmoniously with Paul Banks' English-twinged baritone. Banks' deliberate and troubled vocals have coated Interpol's catchiest hits (such as 'Obstacle 1' and 'Slow Hands') with a dusting of pessimism and cynicism. Sometimes this worked (see: Turn on the Bright Lights), and sometimes this resulted in songs peppered with inauthenticity and clashing aesthetic systems (see: Antics). Interpol has often tried to fight their dark edge, especially with Antics, but they simply embraced it with their most recent release. They seemed to publicly (and perhaps subconsciously) acknowledge this fact by choosing not to title their most recent work. The guitars and keyboards reflect Banks' style on this album, and while this does make for an oft-dispiriting outing, one can clearly identify that the band is finally clicking on all levels: musically, intellectually, and emotionally. Good riddance, Carlos Dengler.

Interpol will be at Vancouver's luxurious Orpheum Theatre on January 27, 2011. I snagged some pre-sale tickets, but - like most everything in Vancouver these days - it is now sold out. Craigslist?

Keywords: "Vancouver blog", "Vancouver concert listings", "Alex Dawkins"