Song of the Day: Bloc Party - Positive Tension

Since the critically acclaimed debut album "Silent Alarm", all of Bloc Party's later work has always been compared to it and with good reason; it is album an amazing. With the recent release of "Four", their fourth (hence the name) and latest album after their hiatus, and once again music reviewers bitch and moan about how they wish they had another “Silent Alarm”. Though Bloc Party has never really been on my radar, after a discussion with Bryan, he suggested I give “Silent Alarm” another listen because he said, “it is the kind of band that I would make”. As much as I would want to bitch and moan about how he is wrong, he is absolutely right.


The way Kele Okereke writes and sings his songs are just so similar to everything that I ever wanted or done in Old Soybu. His lyrics are rife with this existential questioning  that I always have in my lyrics and the song 'Positive Tension' is exemplary of this. Not only does he sing and write similar to me but the overall sound of the songs are exactly the kind of stuff I wanted to make. The instrumentation on this track (and the album) is a smart and forward thinking interpretation of post-punk revival (a genre based purely on nostalgia). This song features a really nasty sounding synth an ethereal guitar and a really dance-y drum beat.

I haven't listened to their other albums, but I am ready to hear the progression of this amazing band.

Oh, and since that this is going to be a revival of the blog I plan to write a lot about the recent fiction I have been reading and might drop a few posts about some influential writers that I really enjoy.
Right now I am towards the end of The Pale King by David Foster Wallace (my first and definitely not my last Wallace)  so look out for some of my thoughts on the famous unfinished tome.

Thanks for reading guys (the few of you that actually care).

- Starlon H