9. InterpolTurn On The Bright Lights
I love Interpol. They’re my favourite modern band, I suppose. Are they considered contemporary? It was a decade ago but I think of them as a new band. Well, they’re not part of the 90s anyway. ‘NYC’ manages to be simultaneously dirge-like and uplifting, and I don’t know how he manages to balance those two things. I love the lyrics in it, ‘I tried on seven faces before I knew which one to wear.’ For me the art of great songwriting is when you’re fascinated by the words but you don’t know too much about what it’s about. It’s about giving but not too much. As a listener you should have to join the dots. It’s a perfect record for where it came from too, it’s got that feel that’s very urban and alienated. I really like listening to it on the underground. The drone of the tube trains and the slightly sort of neurotic sense that you get when you’re on the tube is perfect for Interpol. It’s funny you should say they’re like a New York Suede because when they came out people did make that comparison.
