Interpol - Our Love to Admire

Interpol burst out of the traps in 2002 with their near flawless debut Turn on the Bright Lights. It was perhaps fitting that a New York band were able to produce a record which tapped so perfectly into the dark mood hanging over the post 9/11 world. This, naturally elevated them to untouchable status in the indie major league, and in turn piled on the expectations for album two.

In retrospect, such expectations may have been unreasonable, and were almost certainly unhelpful. The band found themselves for the first time with the hopes and dreams of indie kids all over the world weighing heavily on the shoulders. What they eventually produced was a strong album with plenty of high points, most notably the chilling Evil, but I think it's fair to say that Antics didn't quite live up to its predecessor. It's difficult to pin down exactly what is missing but, Evil aside, that menacing atmosphere that pervades TOTBL just isn't quite there.

All of which made their third record, Our Love to Admire an important one, arguably even more eagerly anticipated than Antics. By kicking it off with the mini-epic gorgeousness of Pioneer to the Falls, they immediately invited comparisons to TOTBL which starts in similar fashion with Untitled.

Thankfully, however, they didn't take the cheap way out and simply rehash their debut. What they came up with was a point somewhere between the first and second records. While that sense of uneasy brooding of the debut still isn't quite there, there is more consistency than can be found on Antics.

The sense of urgency teased on Antics' lead single Slow Hands is more readily apparent on Our Love to Admire. Drummer Sam Fogarino's work is largely responsible for this, powering through No I in Threesome and The Heinrich Maneuver, among others. Sam's drumming is often overshadowed by Paul's voice or Carlos D's unmistakable bass work, but in my view his input is equally vital in creating the sound that makes Interpol so distinctive. On Our Love to Admire this comes to the fore more than we've seen on previous releases.

As it's only 18 months since this record was released, I'm not holding my breath for a new album from Interpol this year, but they are very much on my radar when it comes to anticipated albums. In these days of miserable weather and even bleaker economic prospects, wallow in a bit of gloom and acquaint (or re-acquaint) yourself with Interpol's back catalogue.

Download: Interpol - Our Love to Admire