Review Summary: So Cool!
"Silent Alarm" is the first full album of a rock band called Bloc Party from London. This CD was first established by Wichita Records in 2005. It is composed of thirteen cool songs as listed below.
1. Like Eating Glass 4:22
2. Helicopter 3:40
3. Positive Tension 3:55
4. Banquet 3:21
5. Blue Light 2:47
6. She's Hearing Voices 3:29
7. This Modern Love 4:25
8. Pioneers 3:35
9. Price of Gas 4:19
10. So Here We Are 3:52
11. Luno. 3:57
12. Plans 4:10
13. Compliments 5:11
Bloc Party consists of four members; the vocalist Kele Okereke, the guitarist Russell Lissack, the bassist Gordon Moakes and the drummer Matt Tong. Their music is based on rock music and involves the taste of post-punk, techno and dance music. They are sometimes classified as post-new wave. What I like about this CD album is the unique atmosphere in their music and the guitarist Russell's guitar play. Actually, I can say that it is the best CD album that I have ever heard. The combination of inpatient drums, eccentric bass, delicate guitar and mellow vocal in the profound lyrics always makes me excited. If you like indie rock music(especially the bands like radiohead and sonic youth I think), this album may fit you so much.
At the beginning of the CD, in "Like Eating Glass", you can see their original point of view to the world. You can hear the guitar phrase like a "silent alarm" at the beginning of this song. In this song, Kele repeats the word "It's so cold in this house" many times as if to say he implies that it is modern society.
"Helicopter" is a great song with cool twin guitar riff and the impressive chorus saying "Are you hoping for miracle?". I can't stop repeating this song in my head.
In "Positive Tension", the disquieting bass line makes you want to know what happens next, but in the last part you will recognize you absorbed in the song by the exciting development of its mood.
"She's hearing Voices" is an addictive song (actually I repeat this song every time I listen). Fluid guitar play and the mysterious mood will addict you too.
In "Luno" you may feel like you are chased in the night. In the middle part, you are likely to be captured though you make effort. Then the declaiming vocal adds up the speed more. you can not take any rest while your are listening.
In the three songs above, you can hear the smart guitar solo of Russell!
"Banquet" is a song about sex (actually Kele said). At first I couldn't grasp the hidden meaning since I'm not a native speaker of English but after I knew that, this song gained its deepness. Kele is an awesome lyric writer.(you can also hear the cool guitar solo in this song!).
In "Blue light", "This Modern Love" and "So Here We Are", you can see the onther aspect of their music. Gentle bass line and delicate guitar with loving lyrics warm up your heart.
"Blue Light" has an image of the sky with thousands of stars shining. The guitar phrase that slowly appears and disappears in the first part is like shooting stars and the part starts at 1:51- is like the moon.
"This Modern Love" and "So Here We Are", have a image of snow falling down in white scenery. These are heart-warming songs, but the intelligent atmosphere of their music does exists.
In contrast to former three loving songs, "Pioneers" and "Plans" are kind of decadent (I wonder if this word is right) songs. There are many negative words in the lyrics, and the mood of these songs are cold and forlorn.
"Pioneers" has a tense mood. The lyric like a Zen dialogue (Zen-mondou in Japanese) makes me think.
In "Plans", the melancholic mood turns into a beautiful music like twinkling stars in the end. This is one of my favorite phrase in this CD.
"Price Of Gas" starts with the guitar phrase like a centipede heaving. Unlike other songs like this song, the lyric is written with confidence that Kelly repeats "We're gonna win this".
"Compliments" is well matched to the end of the CD. The oppressive atmosphere of this song gradually clears up toward the end(but it does not completely) as like when a fog clears up. After the fog clears up and the CD ends, you might feel like it is a morning after a long dream.
The surprising point is that it has no slowdown at the whole of the CD. The waves of their sophisticated music have never allowed me to rest whenever I listen to it. Listening to it reminds me of the scenery in London(though I've never been there).
The more you listen, the more interest you will get in them. This is the greatest CD album ever!
