Music

Interpol take us on a cruise to the ’00s with a five-star gig

New Yorkers light up Electric Picnic as they play their dark and poetic debut album in full

Interpol play the Electric Arena on Saturday at Electric Picnic. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times

Jennifer Gannon
Sun Sep 3 2017 - 15:38

Interpol
Electric Arena

★★★★★

Some albums really make their mark the first time you hear them, and when the magic holds strong 15 years later, you know it’s true love.

Turn on the Bright Lights, Interpol’s 2002 debut, is dark and poetic. Anxiety, torment and paranoia are the key elements here and Christ! I love it.

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Playing the album from start to finish is the only way TOTBL should be heard. Untitled and Obstacle 1 put your heart on hold and drive a stake right in.

The Irish Times crew covering Electric Picnic 2017 talk about their favourite, and least favourite, festival moments.

Backlit in red, with the silhouettes of the band moving ever so slightly, the imagery of the album is delivered to us on a plate.

It’s music very much of a time, New York indie rock’s most recent prolific period, but the way the band still connect with a very heavy-hearted yet dutiful audience proves that sometimes the torment we put ourselves through years ago can live on, but in a gentler, retrospective way.

In three words: Heartache's gentle throwback

If you like this see: Band of Horses

InterpolEP17