Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City

Bloc Party once said that the absence of a 'k' from 'Block' was purely for aesthetic reasons. Well, you know what? You don't get to make the sole judgement on the aesthetics of the word bloc/block. It's my turn and I think it looks shit. I think it looks much better with the 'k' on, which is how it's supposed to be. Don't reinvent the wheel, Bloc Party. 'Block' works. Stick with it.

I think that Bloc Party are supposed to be all modern and broad-minded, but I get the opposite impression. They seem to inhabit the same world as the London music press and no-one else is much bothered. They all go to the same venues and listen to the same music. The press tell us that they're revolutionary, but everyone else is fairly ambivalent.

Being 'quite good' isn't normally the path to greatness. Nor is being better than a handful of other bands who are quite similar. Singing 'East London is a vampire' is quite insular. Writing a whole album about the capital, more so. 'Waiting For The 7.18' is a song about commuting on the underground. Most people don't do this, including, lest we forget, Bloc Party.

If you commute to your record industry job on the underground, maybe this is the album for you. For everyone else, get Captain Beefheart's Safe As Milk for an album you can really identify with.