A stellar debut album can be both a blessing and a curse. When Interpol released Turn On The Bright Lights back in 2002 they were instantly elevated into the rank of alternative rock heavyweights. But apart from the critical acclaim and commercial success, TOTBL did one more thing: it set the bar for the following Interpol releases incredibly high. And while it’s clear that all of their post-Antics albums were pretty good, they never really met the fans’ excessive expectations.
Perhaps the band is partially responsible for the lukewarm reviews of their most recent efforts – while other groups, such like Arctic Monkeys tried (and succeeded) to distance themselves from the pressure of a great debut by drastically altering their style, Interpol’s music hasn’t really changed that much over the past 15 years. All the main ingredients are still here: deep, hypnotic basslines, Daniel Kessler’s signature guitar “needles” and Paul Banks’ melancholic vocals. That being said, Marauder isn’t a 100% repetition of 2014’s El Pintor. It is much more energetic and dense, and the band sounds like they have a very clear idea of where they want to go with this sound.
The opening If You Really Love Nothing is Interpol at its soaring best: brilliant melodies all the way through, and dreamy sounds combined with a unique rhythm. The lead single, The Rover features a fantastic riff and is driven by an intense, urgent drum beat. See, after these tracks I was sure that Marauder will be a triumphant return, but after that the quality kinda drops. It’s not a straight nosedive though, as the following songs are pretty enjoyable and rather good, but none of them really stick with me. The middle part of the album sort of blends into one, although it’s not like they all sound the same – the mood ranges from anxious (Complications) to melancholic (Stay in Touch) with plenty of melodic choruses like that in Mountain Child or NYSMAW. Yet I can’t escape the feeling that it’s that middle part that drags the album down. From Surveillance though, the band really picks up the intensity and delivers some great moments like the rhythmically intricate Party’s Over and the hypnotic closer It Probably Matters.
Even though some of the songs may be lacking something, one thing remains great throughout the record: the production. It’s pretty minimalistic and drowned in a ton of reverb, and that’s the kind of style that suits Interpol best. This album SOUNDS fantastic.
So yeah, I enjoyed Marauder a lot. But even though the album is a joy to listen to, there are plenty of flaws to it. In the end, you have to ask yourself one question: how does this album compare to the rest of Interpol’s discography? It doesn’t reallt bring anything new to the table, and feels a bit insignificant. Sadly, it seems like the ghost of their debut will haunt them forever.
7/10
Fear of Music 