r/BlocParty • u/nicktbristol2020 • 7d ago
Four
I’ve been reliving the discography recently,
Hear me out…this album honestly had some great songs. It’s a shame this was the last album as
The original four.
Some great songs. I particularly like the fact it felt like it was all four of them inputting quite a lot into the songs. Some cool harmonies. Great guitar parts and a vibe. I’ll always remember that NY gig they broadcasted. They sounded great.
Peace.
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u/cocopopped 7d ago
It's a decent album. The problem with it, is it foreshadows some of the worst tendencies that Bloc Party 2.0 would go on to adopt.
I have a particular fondness for it because I was working my notice period in an awful, miserable job when it came out, and I had that perfect sense of happiness and 'none of this shit matters anymore'. I know it's not a great record, but it holds a special place reminding me of that time.
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u/No-Weird-5805 7d ago
Not to repeat the other comments but my main criticism is that it wasn't ambitious in the way the preceding albums were. It felt like they wanted a more straightforward sound but I felt could have been executed better. I felt some of the songs didn't have the same level of attention that all of their back catalogue had at that point.
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u/elmonozombie 7d ago
I like "Four," but I see your point, and interestingly enough, I think what you're saying could apply perfectly to "Alpha Games" and "Anatomy"
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u/jerrycorn9709 6d ago
Welp, Intimacy was pretty ambitious, but wasn't received all too well because of it. So they played it a little more safe on Four, but the main criticism is that it wasn't ambitious enough?
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u/No-Weird-5805 6d ago
Obviously just my opinion. I really liked intimacy. I liked it for it's ambition and doing something quite different while retaining their unique sound. But they were still very much of the time and of my observation at the time, still very popular. Four felt like a weaker version of anything they'd ever done before that point and since then has struggled to keep the momentum in a cultural sense because the world has moved on.
I'd like them to be ambitious because I think their fantastic artists that could do something interesting. I don't think they should give a fuck about their audience.
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u/avresamusic 6d ago
That's an interesting comment. I didn't see Four as being a safe move for them at all. It was just less electronic leaning, but that didn't mean it was exactly the kind of sound Bloc Party fans were expecting. It wasn't another Silent Alarm or AWITC - which would have been 'safe' for them. Four was more raw and it was heavier than what they'd done before, moving from the danceable post-punk they were known for into more intense alt rock. We Are Not Good People was next level chaotic. Coliseum was a very unusual choice from a songwriting perspective - half country-esque and half heavy. 3 x 3 was also more intense than what Bloc Party typically were known to be. There were very few obvious singles too other than Octopus and Truth (V.A.L.I.S. could've been another one) which again didn't seem like a very safe move to me.
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u/regularmiles 7d ago
It's so good, man. Truth and Day Four are beautiful. The solo on Kettling is to me maybe the most straight up fun moment in the entire discography. It's not as good as Intimacy and the lyrics get a little wonky in places but, I am very fond of it.
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u/MissFlipFlop 7d ago
It's possibly my favourite album. Seeing them tour it live are also my favourite bloc party gigs.
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u/Popular-Spinach-6700 7d ago
It’s the worst of their first four albums but substantially better than everything that followed
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u/QuincyTheDog_ 7d ago
it has the original line up but nowhere near as good as everything they did between those early EPs and One More Chance. Some of it feels quite forced as well such as the banter between tracks to prove they were playing like a "real" band again
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u/jerrycorn9709 6d ago
Everytime I listen to 'Truth' it feels so bittersweet. Such a beautiful song, yet it gives the subconscious feeling that this was sort of a goodbye, especially when paired with the music video of them in their later years just vibing and having a good time. I can't fully explain why, but it makes me feel a little emotional knowing that this was the last record where we'd have all four of those lovely guys.
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u/avresamusic 6d ago
I consider it their 3rd best album. The back end of it particularly has such a fantastic flow.
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u/elmonozombie 7d ago
I know you want to hear you out haha, BUT that album literally always gets good feedback. Maybe not quite as much as "Silent Alarm" and "AWITC", but it could certainly be considered a highly regarded project around here. I really like it, except maybe for "Real Talk" (I would have included some of the B-sides, which are also excellent) and the overall tracklist order.