Interpol · 2002Turn on the Bright Lights
Have you ever fallen in love with something without quite knowing why?
Take Interpol's 2002 debut Turn on the Bright Lights, one of my favorite records of the century.
The music is derivative, the band members wear suits and, worst of all, they have cringeworthy lyrics like: “Well then hook me up and throw me baby cakes ’cause I like to get hooked.”
But here's the thing: it works.
Turn on the Bright Lights is a testament to the power of romantic post-punk when all the elements are perfectly assembled, like Tolstoy writing a thousand-page novel about war, aristocrats and the meaning of life that's somehow impossible to put down.
Heavy drums and bass complement Interpol's signature angular guitars on the opening track "Untitled," while "Obstacle 1" embodies the tense and urgent nature that dominates the first half of the record, with the back end more subdued and nocturnal.
No track captures this better than "Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down," a six-and-a-half-minute cinematic epic that combines sweeping orchestral beauty with the story of a woman experiencing a tragic fall from grace.
This perfect soundtrack for falling leaves and crisp air will leave you reflecting on life, in all the right ways. So as autumn closes in, I implore you to get hooked on this incredible, hypnotic achievement.