Bloc Party is an enigma.  In 2005, they produced a great Rock album called Silent Alarm but followed that up with the lackluster A Weekend in the City (2007), liked by some but otherwise mourned as the impending death of a band with promise.  The release of their latest album, Intimacy, unveils a different set of rules for the sound of Bloc Party.  This time around, Bloc Party releases a highly entertaining album with a mélange of styles that include hip-hop (“Ares”), electronica/dance (“Mercury,” and the ‘waiting for a DJ remix’ of “One Month Off”), ballads (the heart-rending plea of “Biko,” and the sadness of “Signs”), and some excellent Rock and Pop tunes.  Even as many of the songs somehow point back to the quality atmosphere of Silent Alarm, they also explore more musical ground than that album did.

It bears to mention that the quality of Silent Alarm from beginning to end is a veritable treat for several generations of listeners.  Intimacy doesn’t achieve that level of style and grace but it never disappoints either.  It clearly tries to rope back any lost fans from their second effort and yet continue on a path to finding their footing.  It succeeds well enough. 

Lyrically, Intimacy is an album of personal details that deals with breakups, regrets, sickness, death, and all of the emotional hopes and fears that inherently come with those things.  But it also joys in love.  Some of these songs are perfect in their presentation, while others seem a little out of sorts.  Regardless, even as Intimacy regains some of the promise of the band lost from their ill-advised A Weekend in the City album, it will also isolate some fans even further who might not be able to sense the ‘coming back’ of the band.

I believe that there is much to like about Intimacy.  There are several Pop/Rock singles tucked in here (“Mercury” – already one; the stunning “Better Than Heaven,” and the OMD-flavoured “Ion Square”).  The rest of the album is a heady blast of Rock in various forms making Intimacy a very good Bloc Party entry.

Now, once again, I’m very anxious to hear their next.