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Interpol - Interpol
User Score
7.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 57 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 50 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 57
  3. Negative: 2 out of 57

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  1. EchosMyron
    Sep 8, 2010
    10
    There are a lot of people who are wrong about "Interpol". These people go into every Interpol album wondering if this will be another "Turn on The Bright Lights", it isn't. But that's alright, because it isn't trying to be. The songs are darker, more atmospheric, with ethereal soundscapes and a greater focus on Paul's vocals for a lot of the songs. The songs, possibly less immediate, but still great. "Try It On" "Memory Serves" and "Summer Well" rank up with the best stuff the band has done.… Expand
  2. jdm127x
    Sep 9, 2010
    10
    Another classic album from an already timeless band. Interpol continues to impress even years after the stellar Turn On The Bright Lights. Favorite tracks include Success, Summer Well, Barricade and The Undoing.
  3. eastside
    Sep 7, 2010
    5
    It is going to be extremely difficult for Interpol to escape the long shadow cast by their stunningly awesome debut album. Antics was a fine second album, but it was not nearly in a class with Turn On the Bright Lights. A completely forgettable third album sees the downward trend continue with this maddeningly inconsistent fourth and self-titled album. After a promising start with "Success," the record has a strong first half with two good tunes in "Lights" and "Barricade," but loses momentum quickly on the second half with pointless, boring songs. There are four really poor songs on this record that drag down the overall quality. There is a special place in the pantheon of great music for Interpol's debut, and I suspect the band will never come close to replicating its magic again. This record is merely the proof.… Expand
  4. karmacop
    Sep 8, 2010
    10
    This is a good album in and of it's self RIGHT NOW. If you're an Interpol fan I think that it is going to be a great album after you you spend some time with it. If people insist on measuring the band against an an album put out in 2002, and Interpol responded by putting out another album that sounds exactly the same, they would be accused of stagnation. You can't hear TOTBL for the first time again. LET !! IT !! GO !!! What you can do is let Interpol evolve. You could argue the band is in decline album to album if TOTBL is your favorite But if OLTBA is a listeners introduction to Interpol that may be their TOTBL and every album heard thereafter may never measure up to that effort. Likewise the album INTERPOL may be a new listeners TOTBL. Songs like Pace Is The Trick... Mind Over Time....Barricade... and Summer Well are evidence of the bands growth; those songs did not belong on their first album or the second, not that they weren't of the same quality, A creative band, or any artist for that matter, should continue to innovate. So, to anyone who loves or likes this band, get the album. If you are someone considering listening to this band for the first time, give it a chance. It may take a few listens to fully appreciate the unique sound that defines Interpol, but its worth the time investment. To old fans who may have been a bit presumptuous in their judgement, give it a fair chance. Its a different sound, but worth the time investment. They are the same band, they just got better. Interpol is still Interpol.… Expand
  5. Roberto
    Sep 9, 2010
    10
    This band's music has generally been very hard for people who are not into this alternative rock stuff. But with its fourth LP, Interpol managed to create music that are hard even for those trained listeners. Nothing short of brilliant, nevertheless. This album is breathtaking and mindblowing. Do not expect your radio friendly Interpol, but a much more opera-like, brooding, dark one.
  6. thecoo815
    Sep 10, 2010
    10
    Interpol, Interpol Interpol... what is sad about Interpol? It's the fact that they released an amazing debut album which established their sound.. and now some eight years later... subsequent albums are harshly criticized for no reason.... Yes... Our Love To Admire was not as good as TOTBL or ANTICS... but it was still a very good album... it was a grower... the same can be said for Interpol... though in many ways Interpol is a way better album than OLTA... but it is a grower... the songs at first glance all sound similar.... but listen close and you will see the textures, the riffs, the complexities, the emotion... and the great story.. basically Interpol is about a relationship falling apart.... and its effects on the sanity of a man... just listen... Album Standouts: Memory Serves, Lights, Barricade, Always Malaise (The Way I Am), Try It On, and All Of The Ways… Expand
  7. vebi
    Sep 11, 2010
    9
    i feel the urgent need to say this: most professional reviewers apparently don't get this album correctly. ANY interpol-fan who feels that what drives this band is: 1. autumnal gloominess; 2. flirt with the gothic and darkness; 3. feelings of alienation, isolation, drama, desire, devotion; 4. deep, multi-layered, subtly powerful songs will definitely LOVE this album. it takes some time, but - i haven't really said this about any album for some years - it will GROW on you! please believe me, don't believe the hype. this is a very good interpol album. they did a really great job and as far as i can hear put a LOT of effort into these songs - MUCH more than on the lush and pointless OLTA (no more horns) and even occasionally antics. it's artistical, self-confident and coherent... and even if comparisons generally suck, right now i feel that this might be my favourite interpol-album since TOTBL. thanks, interpol. you enchant me.… Expand
  8. BS24
    Sep 7, 2010
    9
    Interpol has always been a love or hate band. With every album there is a split between fans of whether it was good or not, except for TOTBL of course. The songs on this album are solid, theres not as much Carlos D as some people may want, since it was his last album with the band. Theres only 1 weak song on the album and its Always Malaise. I don't know what they did to Paul's voice but it sounds awful. It sounds like all the albums mixed together. The orchestral sounds of OLTA, the driving vocals from Antics, and the drums and guitar from TOTBL. Thats where the problem comes for most fans. They most likely hear the album that they hate in the songs from Interpol, instead of the parts from the 2 albums that they like. The album is more atmospheric than usual, i think they were trying to centre the songs around a central idea, instead of just writing 10 songs and going into the studio. For those of you that are hardcore Joy Division fans, this is the Interpol album you have been waiting for, sans basslines as ive mentioned before. Overall, these songs were centred around a good idea, but the turmoil in the band seeme to hold it back from reaching its full potential. Very Satisfying… Expand
  9. Nexus2154
    Sep 8, 2010
    8
    Definitely not "Turn on the Bright Lights" but definitely not as inconsistent as the "Our Love to Admire". I wasn't too enthusiastic about some of the songs listed on it but on subsequent listens, they seem to be growing on me. Who cares if it's not as good as their first album, it's still better than most other alternative albums coming out on the whole. What Interpol does do well on the whole is create atmospherics and they have plenty of flourishes here. Check it out and make your own opinion!… Expand
  10. KundK
    Sep 9, 2010
    7
    This is not the same fun loving band of years past, but their brooding, ominous and epic-sounding doppelgangers from the Bizarro World where Interpol sounds like early Editors. If you think that is not such a bad thing, you will be pleased with the new Dark Interpol. If you expect catchy radio hits or a new TOTBL, you might be disappointed.
  11. felandath
    Sep 9, 2010
    7
    People wax eloquent about TOTBL. I personally feel that Antics was their best to date. Overall this album falls somewhere in between. And considering how poor OLTA was, this definitely wasn't worth the 6 years wait after Antics. It does have two standout tracks in "Barricade" and "Lights" (Did anyone else think that it starts like the Killers track "all the pretty faces").There are some really poor and pointless tracks which I have already deleted from my playlist.… Expand
  12. mabuel
    Sep 9, 2010
    10
    It is a solid album, with a great atmospheric sound. This band's music has generally been very hard for people who are not into this alternative rock stuff. But with its fourth LP, Interpol managed to create music that are hard even for those trained listeners. Nothing short of brilliant, nevertheless. This album is breathtaking and mindblowing. Do not expect your radio friendly Interpol, but a much more opera-like, brooding, dark one. It is not their best work, but c'mon! this is better than all the current MTV crap...… Expand
  13. arcadefire7099
    Sep 11, 2010
    7
    In an attempt to stray away from the sound that defined Interpol, the band has managed to write a dark and melodic album that only leaves hints of the former sound we heard on TOTBL and Antics. This was a bold move for a band that desperately needed to redefine themselves as a band that is able to move away from the comforts of their past in order to enter into a new world of sound and feeling. The punchy and danceable bass driven dance songs of the past have been laid to rest in order for the darker side of Interpol to smoothly creep up on the listener. One can only hope that Interpol continues to experiment with the atmospheric sounds that make this album so interesting to listen to.… Expand
  14. jakefabo
    Sep 13, 2010
    8
    Although not their strongest or most accessible album, Interpol fans will enjoy this one. If you are waiting for another "Turn on the Bright Lights" though, this is not it and it will not happen seeing as how the bassist has left. However, there are enough hooks in songs like "Success", "Summer Well", and "Barricade" to keep things catchy, and the build ups in "Lights" and "The Undoing" are brilliant. Meticulous song construction is what makes me a fan of this band, and some of the later songs seem to lack direction, but I have a feeling that this album will grow on me just like the last one did.… Expand
  15. ricktizzle
    Sep 14, 2010
    6
    Interpol have given us one timeless album, one pretty good album, one decent enough album, and one that finally fails to entertain, in that order. The opening half of "Interpol" shows potential, but never fully fires on all cylinders. The second half tapers off into droning obscurity. Further elaborating on the soundscapes created on Our Love to Admire (namely, "The Lighthouse"), the band seem to lose focus on the driving nature that makes their sound work. Julian Plenti is...Skyscraper proved that Paul Banks still has the edge and wit to write a great music. This album merely proves that the Interpol format is enduring a slow death.… Expand
  16. txrangersfan72
    Sep 19, 2010
    5
    Unlike most Interpol fans, who are actually more "Turn on the Bright Lights" fans than true Interpol fans, I welcome the changes I've heard as they matured as a band. In fact, Interpol has been my favorite modern band in the past 4 years. I've seen them live 3 times (an upcoming 4th in October). I DVR their performances on television. I buy their extra release/B side stuff. I'm a tad obsessed. Yet, I'm old enough to realize that bands change/grow. And I go into each new release with optimism and repeatedly listen to the songs to ensure I understand where they are going with each new song. Unfortunately, I can't find a focus on "Interpol." And that is a difficult, yet well-educated, statement to make. I've listened to the album 10 or 11 times. I went back and played their entire library a few times to listen to the changes they've made as a band. Then I played their entire library for a couple of days on shuffle to see how the songs intermingle with their older material. And while average Interpol is better than excellent releases by other bands, I can't defend this album. Unlike most other fans, I strongly embraced "Our Love to Admire." I heard such immense maturity in those songs. The chorus in "No I in Threesome." The blunt, dark honesty of "Rest My Chemistry." The hard-driving melody of "The Heinrich Maneuver." Even the ethereal beauty of the bonus track sold by iTunes, "Mind Over Time." No, they weren't all-out rock anthems like were so prominent in "Turn on the Bright Lights," but I saw that going away in half of the follow-up, "Antics," one of my favorite albums of all time. No, unfortunately "Interpol" only half-bakes the ethereal, never really all-out rocks and touches not much of me inside like nearly everything else they've ever released. And it breaks my heart to write that. I cannot tell if they were trying so hard to distance themselves even further from "Turn on the Bright Lights," which is not what some of their fans want them to do, or trying hard not to duplicate "Our Love to Admire," which I would have loved to see grow. The flow of the album is clumsy and misguided. The songs are some of the worst they've written, even compared to B-sides and unreleased tracks from the past. For instance, "Song Seven," a rarely heard extra track recorded two different ways by them, as well as the aforementioned "Mind Over Time," which was only temporarily available as an iTunes "extra" track, are better than every single song on "Interpol." Every. Single. Song. I enjoy listening to the first half of the album, but drift far from interested when the last 5 songs begin. "Memory Serves" is my favorite and the only one that resembles true growth. "Success," "Lights," "Barricade" and "Summer Well" resemble standard Interpol structure, but are average at best and don't come close to the talent and quality of anything on their previous three efforts. The last 5 begin with the immensely dull, "Always Malaise" and drift ever-further downward, with a brief last gasp of air during "Try It On." And this time, the worst track on the "Bonus" version I purchased from iTunes is, unfortunately, the bonus track, "Crimewaves." "Interpol" is a step in the wrong direction. I'm glad it isn't "Turn on the Bright Lights." Only I wish it hadn't been so immensely weak since I have to now wait probably another 3 years to hear their first attempt without the recently-departed linchpin, Carlos D. Knowing that the talent is there, I'm optimistic that the whole Carlos D situation might be why "Interpol" is not up to par and that their next effort will show definite growth. I point to the underrated Paul Banks solo effort, "Julian Plenti," that Interpol has a few surprises left up its sleeve. I'm counting on it.… Expand
  17. London_Calling
    Sep 21, 2010
    8
    This is a top album and as with the others, more quality seeps out with every listen. It's true to say that this album has some of the band's best songs on it but that might not be immediately apparent. Anyone lucky enough to have seen them play Lights will feel very differently to the mixed reviews I've seen of that song. Powerful stuff.
  18. MovieJay
    Sep 30, 2010
    9
    I think Interpol's first two albums are masterpieces in their own right, that "Our Love to Admire" is very good, and that this one fits somewhere in between there. This music needs time to be savored. "Summer Well", "Lights", and "Barricade" showcase how this band can gather layers of tension and cast a spell. "Turn It On" gives us a new sound from them. Banks' vocals have never been better or riskier. Terrific album.… Expand
  19. clockwars
    Oct 3, 2010
    9
    I think people should give the album a few listens before writing a review.. I really like this album. I like its dark ambiance, and the song melodies have never been better! you can't expect another "Turn On The Bright Lights" because that was Interpol of 2002.. A musician you must never look back, or try to imitate what came naturally before. This is Interpol of 2010, if you're a real fan of the band, take the time to listen to the album. It's great!… Expand
  20. William
    Oct 6, 2010
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was first going to limit my review by saying only this: 'Interpol' is a masterpiece, but then I saw there is a 150 words limit :-) Well, I can add what some have previously delineated: you have to give the album multiple listens. I myself already heard the potential of the songs after the first listenings, and then, for a while (say 10 listenings) I kept finding them better, however, without finding it a truly great album. But then, suddenly, there it was, the pieces fitted together, and I started to hear the magnificence of a few songs (for example 'Success'; what a brilliant, brilliant song this is! Truly one of their best, I find; same for 'Try it on') and others have grown on me ever since. Now, I must seriously say that I cannot live without anymore! The score thing isn't working quite good, but I say: 10/10.… Expand
  21. Armington
    Oct 21, 2010
    1
    A tired album from a tired band. I didn't approach it expecting another "Turn on the Bright Lights" or even another "Antics". I approached it expecting a feeble effort to recapture their earlier innovation and that's exactly what I found. I would have been more impressed had they ventured into more foreign, questionable territory; New School hip-hop for example. At least then they would be experimenting, trying something new, pushing boundaries, taking risks. Instead, as with their last album, they have simply thrown up a turgid regurgitation of their best work. How predictable. With this scathing criticism in mind, calling the album 'Interpol' just seems like a lame attempt to slap their once innovative name upon a work that can at best make you yearn for the old Interpol. Because the Interpol of 2010 is coming across as very old indeed.… Expand
  22. MusicIsMyFriend
    Dec 31, 2010
    9
    Took me a while to enjoy the whole album, but I can admit I like every song on this album. It was my introduction to Interpol besides their singles and I was pleasantly surprised. I don't enjoy Joy Division mainly due to Ian Curtis' vocals and the production quality and weak drum sounds. While Interpol the band may sound similar to Joy Division the layers of their music come out beautifully and the songs flow alot better than Joy Division's, my opinion of course.… Expand
  23. WeAreOne
    Apr 23, 2011
    7
    This is a very enjoyable album. A masterpiece? No. But there is A LOT to love about it. The only song I don't think completely works is Always Malaise - though it does contain some very interesting ideas. For the next album, Interpol desperately need to change up their sound more dramatically. I think they've done all they can with this aesthetic.
  24. Ricko
    Jan 24, 2012
    8
    As albums go it's quite good but from Interpol it is disappointing after the heights these guys reached earlier in their career. The first half of the album is excellent but the 2nd half is pretty dreary stuff. Like I said, if this was a debut album from some previously unknowns I'd be sitting up and taking notice. The problem is it's an Interpol record. When you look at the promise they showed I thought they could be massive on a Radiohead scale but that band were following up OK Computer with Kid A at this stage in their career.… Expand
  25. Palp
    May 26, 2012
    10
    I loved this album, and it was actually the one that got me into Interpol's music. It has a very grim and dark feel to it, while also being enjoyable and quite upbeat on some tracks, namely on "Barricade". I may be in the minority, but I feel that this album can even stack up to Interpol's debut. The bass also feels very heavy on this album, adding punch to the group's sound throughout the album.
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
66 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Slant Magazine
    50
    Interpol may not be quite self-parody, but it's also not the sort of thing that's going to make them hip again anytime soon. Not that they would even care.
    Read full review
  2. Tiny Mix Tapes
    40
    I sense a more natural sense of songcraft here. Banks is still trying too hard, seemingly attempting to write songs he thinks people will like rather than songs that, whether simple or arpeggio-filled, he and his mates like.
    Read full review
  3. PopMatters
    50
    If Interpol-an album that plainly documents a band stretching itself as far as it can unimpressively go-is what a large number of indie fans are going to settle for in this day and age, I can't help but shake my head and sigh in response.
    Read full review
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