Interpol

So much has been said about NYC in the past year that it is almost excruciating to mention that Matador's newest sensations, Interpol, hail from the home of the Strokes. But wait, Interpol sounds nothing like any band from that city, or anywhere else on the continent for that matter. Instead, the quartet fuses the melancholy of Joy Division and the artistic ideals of Wire into one impressive piece of mood rock. Using plenty of reverb, Interpol knows how to create a cold, Berlin-esque romantic atmosphere on Turn On The Bright Lights. Singer/guitarist Paul Banks frequently reaches the levels of Ian Curtis's vocal shakiness and absurdity. His tale of a lost city on "NYC" paints a drab outlook, pointing out that, "The subway is a porno/The pavements, they are a mess," as the shimmering guitars compose a backdrop capable of reducing anyone to a pool of tears. There are many surprising moments that only make the band even more mysterious than they already seem. A blast of pop energy is presented on "Say Hello to the Angels," while post-punk energy fuels the fast paced "Roland" and "Leif Erikson" sounds like the perfect mope rock tribute to someone who recently passed on. Intense, dark and crammed full of drama, Turn On The Bright Lights is easily the best debut album that will cross anyone's path this year.