One of the joys of discovering new music is stumbling upon those rare albums that truly leave a marvellous impression on the audience. That joy is definitely felt on Alpha Games, English indie-band Bloc Party’s newest album after their six-year-long hiatus.
The first track on the album, Day Drinker, makes for an amazing introduction to Alpha Games. The energetic and almost chaotic melody that is so typical of Bloc Party masks the rather melancholic tone of the lyrics, which can be especially glimpsed in the refrain ‘he says he knows when I’ve been drinking’. Russell Lissack and Kele Okereke beautifully bookend the song with some fantastic guitar-playing, with both lead and rhythm blending with each other perfectly, allowing for Day Drinker to nicely transition into the following track. Overall, the song is clearly destined to never leave your eardrums, easily being one of the stand-out tracks on the album.
Another praiseworthy song on Alpha Games is The Girls are Fighting. Making use of several vocal transitions, combined with a brief choir section and the unmissable touch of electronic beats in the background, the track has a really unique sound. I really have an appreciation for bands that are successfully able to blend several genres together, since it typically produces something far more poetic and experimental than had it been limited to just one style of music. Another fantastic stand-out track on Alpha Games is In Situ. The song is a visceral showcase of human emotions, which can really be seen with the repetitive structure of the song, specifically the line “you need to get your hustle on”.
The final track on the album, The Peace Offering, is an unexpected change of tone for the album. Featuring softer vocals and a calm, almost to the point of unsettling, melody, The Peace Offering comes across almost as a confession to the listener, a private dialogue between frontman Kele Okereke and his audience.
Bloc Party may be one of more well-known indie bands from the NME, ‘indie landfill’ era of the early noughties, but I firmly believe they are still underrated. Alpha Games is a fantastic album which I would highly recommend.
Rating 4/5