Product Description

Following a long run of summer festivals and sold out tour dates,
Bloc Party brings us their newest studio effort. Intimacy is a fittingly
up-close title for an album that is, immediately, in-your-face and
in-your-ear. Bloc Party's third album is a thrillingly radical record,
bristling with percussive innovation, scorching riffs, orchestral
sampledelia, and biting emotional candor.

Track Listing

1. Ares
2. Mercury
3. Halo
4. Biko
5. Trojan Horse
6. Signs
7. One Month Off
8. Zephyrus
9. Talons
10. Better Than Heaven
11. Ion Square
12. Letter To My Son
13. Your Visits Are Getting Shorter
14. Flux

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5819 in Music
• Released on: 2008-10-28
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Dimensions: .19 pounds

Amazon.com
Bloc Party fans have awaited the arrival of Intimacy, the band's third studio LP, with a mix of excitement and trepidation. Where their debut Silent Alarm (produced by Paul Epworth) was universally touted as a modern classic, 2007's follow up, A Weekend in the City, was patchier. Intimacy is helmed by both Lee and Epworth. Its brittle contours, mish-mash of influences, and semi-awkward lyrics are quintessential Bloc Party. Mixing up everything from micro-house and dub-step, to indie rock and electro pop, there's a willful energy here reminiscent of the band's debut (though the spikier elements are more reminiscent of of AWITC. Opening cut "Ares" sets out the band's stall with a bombastic brew of high-energy drums, preening guitars, and urgent sirens, while upbeat lead single "Mercury," employs a quirky astrological motif. These prove to be the most charged tracks on the record as elsewhere the band indulges in choral-chanting and strings ("Zephyrus"), angsty art-rock ("Halo") and a surprisingly uplifting finale in the shape of "Ion Square." Intimacy is predictably unpredictable: knowingly difficult, defiantly angular, yet eminently likeable.--Danny McKenna

Customer Reviews

Another Step in Bloc Party's Evolution
Bloc Party has never been a band to stick with a single genre. This was shown on their debut album, 'Silent Alarm' and furthered itself on their greatly-under-appreciated 'Weekend in the City'. With their newest release, 'Intimacy', Bloc Party has once again reinvented themselves and shattered any preconceptions that one might have about the English group.

Upon exploring 'Intimacy' the album abruptly explodes in your face with the electronic/dance rebellion-screaming 'Ares' and delivers an immediate response with the first single from the album, 'Mercury'. Every track on this album will make you want to sing along, dance, and move to every beat. Although some may be adverse to the use of electronic/rock sounding rhythms, Bloc Party uses these techniques perfectly and takes full advantage of the energy they can create.

It must be said though, the standout song (believe it or not) is the slowest song they offer up this turn. The minimalistic approach used in the song 'Signs' will leave you in awe while the lyrics could bring one to tears. From an album this loud, something this quiet and simple shows the band can perform beautifully no matter the pacing.

The only mark against the album is that it does move at such a fast pace that some of the songs tend to sound alike (this is thanks to the use of the electronic style ever-present on this album.)

All in all, this album is a must have. It's an exciting and intimate look into singer/songwriter Kele Okereke's intimate life while keeping the songs uplifting and fun. While there are one or two songs that fall short, they fall because the rest of the album is so well done. Easily a contender for 2008 Album of the Year.

(4.5 out of 5)

I carry your heart here with me
Music has always played a huge part in my life. I always relate events in my life and where I was to what song I was listening to. It can sometimes be emotional to me as well. No band has made me feel so many different things and left me with great memories over the last couple of years than Bloc Party. Their first album was a great introduction to what they would have to offer in the future. Everyone complains that their second album was just boring and huge let down. A great sign of band is a band that continues to grow and challenge themselves instead of just making the same album over and over. Yes, weekend in the city is nothing like Silent Alarm, but it is still just as rewarding an album with absolute stark and beautiful moments.
Now comes their new album that again, is unlike their previous efforts and shows them growing again. This is who they are now and what they are now is a band that can get you grooving wherever you are, and then pull you down and just make you smile at the quieter moments. The 4 additional songs here are a great addition to the set that was released digitally 2 months ago. The best of them is Talons. There is also, in my opinion, the best stretch of their songs in a row out of any of their album, which goes from zephyrus to Letter to my son. Better than Heaven and Ion Square pack a great one-two punch also. This is just a band that needs to be appreciated for what they are doing. Just sit back and enjoy one of the best albums of the year.

Change for the better
I was fondly hoping that this album make up for the previous, A Weekend In The City, which was somewhat a letdown in my opinion. After having listened to Intimacy the first couple of times I wasn't that convinced of the album. Nevertheless, a couple of listens later, I felt that the album grew on me, rendering me now obliged to say that, in my opinion, this is their best album yet and possibly one of the best albums in general.
About the album itself can be said a few things. It seems as the band has combined their previous two albums. Namely the rockaspect of Silent Alarm and the experimental aspect of AWITC. In my opinion a very succesful combination. The album comprises of some solid rock songs and some ballads, sometimes with no guitar at all. The lyrics, especially on the ballads, are mostly brilliant and touching, knowing that Kele wrote most of them after a breakup. Due to the vocal effects, especially on Zephyrus, it feels that Kele really is in pain when singing the song.
I have two favourite tracks, one rock and one ballad: Talons and Zephyrus.