Interpol

September 23

"The subway is a porno/The pavements, they are a mess." So desperately intones Interpol's Paul Banks just a few lines into "NYC," itself just a few tracks into Interpol's debut full-length, Turn on the Bright Lights. "NYC" is a downcast and pointed song, a dismayed meditation on the squalid streets of the late-night metropolis, an elegant and sweeping indictment of the city that once raised--and continues to support--the perpetually suit-clad band (and about 8 million others). And it's the most accomplished song on Lights, but not the only bright moment. Even when the lyrics take on their own abstract logic (as on "PDA," where the chorus goes a little something like this: "Sleep tight/Grim rite/We have 200 couches where you can sleep tonight"), Interpol has a palpable, swirling nervous energy to fall back on. Many of the tracks--most notably "Obstacle 1" and "Say Hello to the Angels"--unfurl frantically on an '80s post-punk tightness. They're playing a nifty geographical trick: Despite what Turn on the Bright Lights suggests, Manchester, England, is not in fact New York City's neglected sixth borough.

 
My Voice Nation Help
 

Concert Calendar

  • May
  • Sat
    18
  • Sun
    19
  • Mon
    20
  • Tue
    21
  • Wed
    22
  • Thu
    23
  • Fri
    24
Dallas Event Tickets
©2013 Dallas Observer, LP, All rights reserved.
Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places Dallas / Fort Worth

    Voice Places

    Find everything you're looking for in your city

  • Happy Hour App

    Happy Hour App

    Find the best happy hour deals in your city

  • Daily Deals

    Daily Deals

    Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city