After the phenomenal success of Silent Alarm, it's safe to say Bloc Party were under some pressure with this album, and bravely opted for a very different, more atmospheric and mature sound. Kele's lyrics are well put together telling of city life, the allure of hard drugs, paranoia and generally what you want to make of them as the listener, though seem to border on cheesy and awkward at times. Decent guitar playing (although the chords can be distressingly similiar over the course of the album) and tirelessly creative drumming from Matt Tong make this well worth a listen though you may have to give it a few spins before you get to like it, in contrary to the more immediate, dancy sound of Silent Alarm.
My personal favourites on the CD are I Still Remember with its catchy guitar and ticking drums, and On: it's beautiful and really gets under your skin!
