So here we are; after several years on hiatus, Bloc Party are officially back and kicking off the proceedings with new single ‘Octopus. The track begins with syncopated guitar wobbles, reminiscent of their début Silent Alarm, yet Kele’s voice is notably subdued, a trend which featured on later albums. However the electro beats that had dominated recent works both in the band and Kele’s latest solo project are not present here, as Bloc Party present a much cleaner, straight up approach, but the rhythms are at least a mesh of those produced over the last decade.
However, the energy of the track is somewhat lacking and the song is not overly catchy, despite the excellent, raw guitar strokes. It’s a good return for the band though, sets the tone for want fans have often been craving and hints at a evolution – albeit gradual – in their sounds. To be a true comeback though, it does need to be slightly more hard hitting.
‘Octopus’ was released on July 11th
6/10
