Next Exit – Interpol

Albums that start with church organs have a bit of a nerve.

Interpol broke the mould they’d cast themselves in with their first record (a brilliant Echo And The Bunnymen tribute act). As accomplished as Turn On The Bright Lights was (and it really was) for Interpol to live up to the reputation they had during the noughties New Rock Revolution(™ NME) they had to do something outstanding on their second album to not go down with The Datsuns, The Vines and The D4 as a flash in the pan.

So they opened Antics with this. A bold, slow croon over church organ and marching drums. They proved they had Greg Dulli in their influences and Johnathan Richman and Nick Cave and Tom Waits as well as The Bunnymen and Bauhaus.

Interpol’s stock right now is the highest it’s been in years. That taxidermy album from a while back may have made “their appeal more selective” for a short while but it’s been the glacial speed they’ve moved at that really slowed their ascension. Other gloomy sounding bands have had a hot minute between Interpol releases and yet their USP of Icelandic cool meets NYC ennui keeps them a unique proposition. So after a primo slot in Hyde Park this summer just below The Cure on one of the best line ups of the year and a genuinley great new album Marauder doing the rounds (Hi ya Santa, I’ve been real good this year and that red vinyl is quite tasty, just sayin’) it would appear they’ve truly passed through the veil to legendary status. Which is a very Interpol thing to do.

Antics is a classy album. There are brilliant tracks on there which still go down a storm when the band play them live. Next Exit though. It sets a shift into motion. It’s a bridge from the theater circuit to the main stages at festivals.

It ain’t going to the town, it’s going to the city.