A Weekend In The City - Bloc Party
A Weekend In The City Image
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 278 Ratings

  • Summary: Kele Okereke & co. try to avoid the sophomore slump with this highly-anticipated follow-up to their acclaimed debut 'Silent Alarm.'
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 30
  2. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. It's smart, strange, just different enough from its predecessor, and, eventually, absolutely stunning.
  2. The real achievement of 'A Weekend In The City' is its path to this conclusion, pulling hard-won moments of contentment from a maelstrom of anger and confusion.
  3. 60
    The album's substantial rewards lie in the unorthodox rhythms of drummer Matt Tong. [Mar 2007, p.102]
  4. The psychic bruising Okereke has sustained playing the East London fame game during the past 12 months has produced self-pitying lyrics that frequently state the bleeding obvious.

See all 30 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Negative: 68 out of 202
  1. BrandonA.
    10
    Critics will be critics. A Weekend In A City was an absolute masterpiece. The band themselves work so amazing together. Personally I love how Kele articulates his aspects on the modernity state of Britain. Could not have been expressed better. Expand
  2. 8
    Supposedly a concept album, this is a very solid follow up to Silent Alarm, showing lots of ambition and progress. This has all the ingredients that made the bands debut so enjoyable, and in many places expands and improves on it. However while Kele's vocals have improved slightly, his lyrics here are at times cringeworthy. Sometimes they work and to be fair they do sound very personal and you have to give credit to him for attempting to wear his heart on his sleeve, but most of the time it's teenage poetry drivel. If you don't listen too carefully they probably wont take away from the record, unfortunately I listened a bit too carefully. Musically excellent though. Expand
  3. BenS
    7
    The previous reviewer claims that Bloc Party fans merely represent those who have grown out of Blink 182, is there any truth in this statement? Blink 182, let's not forget, were a truly hideous band, releasing album after album of puerile immaturity, and then suddenly becoming serious in the apex of their career. Sadly, when they realised that their fanbase was moving on, they released their eponymous album, a collection of dirges that managed to wipe away all the dregs of fun that may have once clung to them. This, of course, left Blink 182 fans slightly confused. Adolescent teenagers the lot of them, they were undergoing the tortous effects of muddled hormones and youthful alienation, but could not connect with middle aged men whining about ghosts, tidal waves and broken relationships. Where now do they go? Well, maybe they would hear a Bloc Party song; full of the melody and longing, and yet blessed with intelligence, musicianship and true passion. These teenagers have grown up with Blink 182, and have found their adolescent fantasies crushed, and therefore the confusion and alienation would connect with them. Here, truly, was a band for them. Then comes 'A Weekend In The City', an album with a wider scope, one that moves their perspectives from themselves and onto the wider world, a place of similar confusion. It is not all alienation and world-wearyness however, as songs such as the glorious 'I Still Remember' give a true anthem of love and longing, that is poignant but hopeful, and will move a generation weaned on pranks and bestiality onto genuine emotion..........of course, that may all be rubbish but it's interesting to speculate. Expand
  4. LeroyB.
    4
    Kele's vocals have been brought to the forefront of the arrangements....... big mistake! , the guy cant sing particularly well and his lyrics are laughable. When Kele's not singing the band are at their best. Awesome drummer , great lead guitarist , why aren't they building they're songs around these things? Expand

See all 202 User Reviews

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