It’s a fair understatement to say the New Yorkers’ fifth album has been highly anticipated. Their last album was their 2010 self-titled affair, and it’s felt like an age in between drinks. El Pintor arrives not long after the band played Byron Bay’s Splendour in the Grass. Reviews so far have been generous, and it’s no wonder after one listen to the album. On repeat listens, it’s hard to tell if this album is really good on its own merits or if Interpol are a consistently brilliant band and this album is just another typical album from them.
After pondering that thought across several listens, the answer seems to be half-way in between the two. One thing is obvious: this disc isn’t as lo-fi as some of their work. Most notably, it’s a departure from the introspective landscape created on their seminal sophomore release Antics. Instead, this album has a grander feel. It’s still very much the signature Interpol sound, yet it’s bigger, more adventurous and as a result, far more rewarding.
Like many of their albums, choosing highlights is hard. Not only because the album is best consumed as a whole, the songs are also very consistent quality-wise. Opener All The Rage Back Home is the most immediately appealing while My Desire is the strongest track on offer with an arresting guitar riff. My Blue Supreme has a lush feeling despite sounding like the band has held back.
El Pintor is a great return to the scene, even if it’s partly just because it’s Interpol, and they’re the best in class at what they do.
BY ALEXANDER CROWDEN
Best Track: My Desire
If You Like These, You’ll Love This: Editors, The National, The Horrors
In A Word: Powerful
