ALBUM: Bloc Party 'Hymns' - GigslutzGigslutz

Rating:

So the mighty have returned, resurrected and rejuvenated with a new found passion and lust for a new sound. They’ve dabbled in an Eden’s garden of musical perfection before reaching out for a grab of the musical perfection fruit. Here, they have it and are devouring it. It’s not the norm we expect from Bloc Party, but Hymns is one of the best albums the band has produced.

The group have had their fair share of fallouts over the past couple of years, resulting in several members of the band jumping ship and leaving. Instead of deciding to call it quits after losing some members – here’s looking at you One Direction – Kele Okereke decided to move with the times and find some new blood to join his ensemble. Kele travelled to London, his hometown, and listened to the wide works of well renowned speaker Hanif Kureishi, who inspired him to create this new album.

The second coming of Bloc Party shows change. A good change. Not that the old act was getting stale, far from that in fact, but it’s a change that sits nicely into 2016. The indie/rock scene is vastly becoming stagnated and slightly overinflated. The album opens with probably the most well known song the band have released, ‘The Love Within’. Yes, it is the song with that techno rift that gets lodged into your brain and plays on repeat all day. Perhaps the second most listened to track on the album will be ‘My True Name’, purely because it showcases the true range of Kele’s vocal range, something that has been somewhat sheltered in previous songs.

The album is a very welcome addition to the Bloc Party repertoire. It is certainly different from previous hits, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Some may hate it purely because it is not the classic Bloc Party sound, but if you can look past the change you find a truly great listen. It has been sampled across their live performances to a strong positive reaction, and is a valiant effort from a group that have had a lot of turmoil thrown their way over the past five years. I highly recommend giving this album a listen and comparing it to their earlier work, it is a very enjoyable experience.

Hymns is out now via BMG.