Customer Reviews

Antics (W/Dlx Slipcase)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In 2002, the post punk outfit Interpol made a splash all over the blogoshere with their debut album Turn on the Bright Lights, showcasing a darker (Joy Division esque) spin on the genre. Two years later when they released Antics... not much had changed, but this wasn't neccesally a bad thing. Most Interpol fans recognize Antics for housing many of Interpol's most recognizable tracks, take "Evil" for example, a frightning tune with creeping vocals and a slick bass line. The easy going "Slow Hands" has one of the albums best hooks, while the song "C'mere" is blissfull and rlaxing. "Narc", "Take You on a Cruise", and "Public Pervert" also served as some of the album's highlights. With the bonus disc you receive a couple of extra tunes (not much to speak of) as well as remixes and three music videos ("Evil" has a good one!). Despite a familiar sound and some dull moments, Antics has just enouph good moments that it maitains itself as a solid record, check this thing out!

Fans of Interpol need to try and be unbiased when first listening to this album. Don't compare it to Turn on the Bright Lights. Take it as the new album, the progression, if you will, of the band. They have released an amazing piece of music.

As a response to the review above, the opening song, seems more as a intro for the album itself than a song in itself. they did the same thing with TOTBL with "Untitled". it just so happens that the intro song on TOTBL was better.

As for the album itself (finally), Interpol has pulled through. The entire album flows and works. Although it seems like they puposely changed their sound from their debut, it still comes out amazingly. If you are a real Interpol fan, you should embrace the new album, not compare it to the first.

Newcomers to the band should take it for what it is, some of the best music on the planet today.

Antics, Interpol's highly anticipated sophomore album, exudes a preceding aura of heaviness, yet casts off the weight of advance hype, stewing anticipation, and unreasonable expectations, and wisely distinguises itself as a strong collection of singles rather than as an immaculately cohesive album. Where Interpol were once synonymous with emotive desolation, they here opt for an atmosphere of poignant resignation, and in doing so, they finally shake off every Joy Division comparison that's ever haunted them, easing up on the forboding atmospherics while frontman Paul Banks relaxes his declarative vocal. If not a complete redefinition, the beauty of Antics lies in Interpol's retention of their singular identity while determinedly marching ahead into increased confidence, refined songwriting, and improved lyrical consistency.

This album over all is better than the first. The first track is weak, but tracks 2-7 and 10 are awesome with some great lines for lyrics. Listen and you'll agree.

Dear Interpol fan, don't buy this enhanced version of the CD. It seriously increased the price of this CD compared to if it were just produced in a normal format. I already have it and the enhanced Open Disc software doesn't work anymore since the deal the website had with Interpol is over. All I got was one measly mp3 anyway. Other than that, this album was pretty good (I gave it 4 stars in another review), but not as good as Interpol's first one.

For people who haven't bought the original version of Interpol's second album "Antics", this is that same album reissued with whatever was on the singles. Except for the one new track, the bonus material on such singles was of no interest to me, since they were remixes of songs. Also, the one bonus song on the "Evil" single was available for mp3 download from a special Open Disc Interpol website accessible only by using the "Antics" CD. However, if you haven't bought the original album, you should know that the bonus song, called "Song Seven" (which is actually a few years old but was rerecorded during the Antics sessions), may not be available on that special website anymore, and having it in CD quality is worth it, since it is perhaps better than all the official "Antics" songs; it's that good.

Best cd purchase I've made since Coldplay's "Parachutes". It's been in heavy rotation in my cd player and I still can't get enough of it.
Tracks 2-7 and 10 are all amazing

P.S. I bought Franz Ferdinand at the same time and shouldn't even mention that album in the same breath with this one.

When they debuted not-so-long-ago, they blew mine, and every other music lover's minds. Now Interpol is back, and has done what any great one has done: changed. I'd compare it to Radiohead making "OK Computer" as a followup to "The Bends". They are not directly comparable, since they are two different flavors, and both flavours are awesome. "Antics" is like "The Godfather Part II" of Interpol. Listen to it at least 3 times, and if you still don't like it, call a shrink. Really.

This album doesn't quite "redefine" the Interpol sound, but it does add a new facet to their sonic power. Just as previous Interpol songs, Antics is a play list of new songs that unravel as you become personally acquainted.
If you enjoyed their "Turn on the Bright Lights", this will be a treat.
Definitely on of 2004's best albums.