Their original competitors are either broken up (The White Stripes), nowhere to be found (The Strokes), or releasing half-baked records (Arcade Fire).
If you’re an Interpol fan, you know they have a knack for incredibly catchy hooks, dark lyrics, and atmospheric songs. Much of what you’re going to hear on Marauder is déjà vu. The formula is there and songs like ‘The Rover’ follow it. Even if the driving guitar hooks and singer Paul Banks warbled vocals are familiar, they’re certainly still a fun listen.
The band is hungry for more and that’s where we need them to be. Tracks like ‘Number 10’ try to exceed expectations with an interesting guitar picked intro. The almost hip hop beat of ‘Party’s Over’ is engaging, however Banks’ watery mixed vocals were an interesting choice. Closer ‘It Probably Matters’ is a gorgeous ending that can hang with Interpol’s greatest moments.
Interpol has given us their best effort since 2007’s Our Love To Admire. While nowhere near perfect, the trio tries to dig up their signature dark style with some surprises in between.
7/10
