Bloc Party — Silent Alarm

Like Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party are about to storm the U.S. with some seriously infectious '80s beats and Gang Of Four-inspired melodies. It's only a matter of time until post-punk or new wave invoke eye-rolling, but don't give up on the genre just yet. Bloc Party make Franz sound tiresome, The Killers amateur and the new wave hype fresh. Besides its unrelenting catchiness, what makes Silent Alarm stand out is its intensity. "Positive Tension," with its dance-punk sheen, gets the heart pumping, while the thumping kick drum on "Pioneers" may cause repeated fist pumping. Franz Ferdinand should thank their stars they came to America first, because Bloc Party make it very difficult to embrace anything else.

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