Yahoo! Music Review

Released on 26/01/09
Label: Wichita

The story of Bloc Party is one of unfulfilled potential. Essentially a great idea in theory - young, lean, tight of trouser and chroniclers of the capital's seedy underbelly with a jaundiced eye and weary smile - the actual package is more akin to a series of concepts and conceits struggling to become a cohesive reality. The breathless brouhaha that greeted their debut, "Silent Alarm", has grown increasingly muted as the band continue its journey to escape such angular origins to avoid becoming something that could very easily become horribly dated.

Full marks, then, should be awarded to Bloc Party for refusing to remain in a stylistic cul-de-sac but the results have never been anything more than humdrum. The real problem is that they have never really been on first name terms with Mr Tune. "One Month Off" finds the band moving further away from the indie ghetto into the electronic territory that's marked their recent output and rhythms judder and stutter with a mighty force. Alas! Kele and his crew have once again paid scant attention to creating something that can be whistled, hummed or sung and any moves to emulate its pulses will have you marked down as a menace to your community.

    by Julian Marszalek