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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.

Turn On The Bright Lights
by Interpol


9.4

based on 21 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 138 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

You won't read very many reviews of this New York band without seeing the words Joy Division pop up, and although there are some similarities, Interpol has something new to offer as well. This debut LP includes the tracks "PDA" and "NYC" from the group's well-received first single for Matador.

LABEL:	Matador
RELEASE DATE:	20 August 2002
DISCS:	1 disc
GENRE(S):	Indie, Rock

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

E! Online

For such a dark and brooding record, Turn on the Bright Lights is also unexpectedly thrilling, coasting on jagged minor-chord guitar melodies and huge emotional swells with a ton of high points along the way.

Pitchfork

Loss, regret, and a minor key brilliantly permeate jangling guitars and rhythmic and tonal shifts-- and although it's no Closer or OK Computer, it's not unthinkable that this band might aspire to such heights.

Entertainment Weekly

Interpol mix the propulsive sonic backgrounds and emotional swells of early-'80s post-punk with unexpected bursts of melody and their own brand of wit to create one of themost exciting new sounds of the year. [23 Aug 2002, p.142]

All Music Guide

This record is no fun at all, the tension is rarely resolved, and -- oh no! -- it isn't exactly revolutionary, though some new shades of gray have been discovered. But you shouldn't allow your perception to be fogged by such considerations when someone has just done it for you and, most importantly, when all this brilliance is waiting to overwhelm you.

PopMatters

Plainly stated, Turn on the Bright Lights is the album modern followers of post-punk have been waiting for.

Austin Chronicle

Their robe is cut from cloth that matters: melodic Peter Hook-like basslines; the divine shoegazer textures of My Bloody Valentine and Ride; a peppy, Strokes-like bounce; and a singer who's a dead ringer for Ian Curtis.

New Musical Express

Interpol temper this album with real atmospheric sadness: the guitar sunspots that flare through 'Untitled'; the echo and ache of 'Leif Erikson'; the way the magnificent 'NYC' brings on the dancing horses for a slow sad waltz through the city's sickness; the snap-shut metal box clang of 'Obstacle 1'.

Delusions of Adequacy

It sounds like the Ramones covering OK Computer. It's also one of the best debuts of the year.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Interpol's virtue lies in the way its music unfurls from pinched openings to wide-open codas.

Almost Cool

As a debut full-length, the group is definitely doing some excellent stuff, but like any band that gets swept up by the hype machine, you may be disappointed if you expect too much.

Drawer B

Don't be fooled by the constant references to other bands. While the foundation upon which Interpol is building, certainly is borrowed, its music is not a miming act.

Billboard

Employing layered guitars, probing bass lines, and the occasional synthesizer swoon, Interpol creates an homage to their particular vision of the '80s that stands proudly alongside the best of its idols.

Village Voice

If I like them because they remind me of eating bad bathtub mescaline in the woods and listening to Cure singles, well, that'll do. You might like them for completely different reasons.

Splendid

Buy Turn On the Bright Lights. It's great. You'll enjoy it. But don't mistake the next best thing for the Next Big Thing. Interpol still have a lot of proving to do.

Launch.com

There's also a heady melodicism that suggests the theatrical firepower of Roxy Music, a droning tonality where big ambiance sets up.

Dusted Magazine

When it works, like on “NYC” or “Roland” it’s a dizzying and beautiful thing that leaves you starving for more. And even when it doesn’t work, it doesn’t fail – it’s just that at times the band seems unable to live up to their own standards and expectations.

Uncut

There's exhilaration amid the despondency, as powerful songs and a light, shoegazey sheen means they frequently soar. [Sep 2002, p.111]

Rolling Stone

Interpol's sleek, melancholy sound is a thing of glacial beauty.

Playlouder

Interpol prove themselves to be men on a mission to take us back to a time when long faces and even longer overcoats were de rigeur for alpha males the musical world over.

Blender

Bright Lights isn't a trudging soundtrack to depression; it's laced with upbeat, albeit bittersweet, songwriting. [#9, p.148]

Q Magazine

Predictably claustrophobic listening.... When they come up for air, Interpol have the tunes to match all the mannered gloom. [Sep 2002, p.107]

The average user rating for this album is 9.4 (out of 10) based on 138 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Mike c gave it a10:
Amazing debut.

Efrain L. gave it a10:
One word: Perfection.

Darcy C gave it a10:
Absolutely incredible album, right from the stunning untitled opener to the final note of leif erikson. Amazing album, in today's music it's hard to find albums with a solid set of excellent songs all the way through.

Mark S gave it a9:
I don't listen to a whole lot of new music, but I find these guys very compelling. Like most really good albums, it has grown on me over time. They really don't sound all that much like Joy Division, so don't be turned off by all the comparisons. They share some of the same self-seriousness and intensity (and lack of "too cool for school" irony), but they're really doing their own thing, albeit by building on the past. They actually remind me much more of early PiL in places, but their groove and atmospherics are all their own. Highly recommended.

Vincent H. gave it a10:
Honestly, this is one of the best debuts by a rock band ever. Seriously...it's that good. It's only been out for like 5 years or so and it is already considered a classic album. What does that tell you? Essentially if you like good music, you will most likely enjoy this album.

Drake gave it a10:
This is true Alternative Rock! Fantastic album.

Tania G gave it a10:
epic.

Turn On The Bright Lights by Interpol

Turn On The Bright Lights
by Interpol