Antics

Barnes & Noble

With a dark, brooding sound and fashion sense straight out of GQ, Interpol were mining the '80s post-punk thing long before it became cool admit you still like the Cure. Released in 2002, Turn on the Bright Lights was a stunning debut that has since become a sleeper hit. Two years of near-constant touring and lazy Joy Division comparisons later, Interpol are back with their sophomore effort, Antics -- let the backlash begin! The main criticism likely to be hurled at these stylish New Yorkers is that Antics sounds a lot like the first album. Well, it's true. All the elements that made Bright Lights a success are here: intertwining, echo-y guitar lines that snake around a propulsive rhythm section, laced through with claustrophobic lyrics. Were people expecting them to suddenly produce Beatlesque harmonies and collaborate with Ludicris? But all that gigging has produced a leaner, meaner, sexier Interpol, and singer Paul Banks has finally found his own voice (the only part of the Joy Division tag that really fit). More important, the songs are better. "Evil," "Not Even Jail," "Narc," and lead single "Slow Hands" best almost anything from their debut. With Antics, Interpol now sound only like themselves, an accomplishment few bands achieve. Bill Pearis

Rolling Stone

A far more refined and finessed record than its predecessor. Barry Walters