Busy 'Weekend'

Want the review in brief? Bloc Party's A Weekend In The City is a clear-cut example of the "ambitious second album" -- both in its failings and its successes. Access to greater studio resources has resulted in a grander, more sophisticated sound … along with some fussiness and a diluting of the raw electricity seen in the band's 2005 debut, Silent Alarm. Meanwhile, frontman Kele Okereke's painfully sincere lyrics address every concern he has ever had -- oftentimes with vibrant imagery and sharp phrasing, but occasionally dropping a groan-worthy clunker. There are moments that hew a little too close to Silent Alarm, and others that point to a blazingly bright future -- in short, it's not perfect, but promising.\nSticking around? Good, lets get into it. Since their 2004 self-titled EP, Bloc Party has been one of new-post-punk's brightest lights. By combining the jittery energy, unabashed artistic pretension and political sloganeering of post-punk legends such as Wire and Gang of Four with the romantic, sweeping, pop-friendly sound of The Cure and U2, they made Silent Alarm a "must-have" indie rock album. \nWeekend's finest moments best maintain this balance: The wonderfully orchestrated "Song For Clay (Disappear Here)" is a ripping, twisty rock opera in under five minutes; the slightly-prog-ish "Uniform" is a savvy criticism of Bloc Party's detached hipster fanbase; in "Where Is Home?" Okereke unleashes a ferocious blast against the treatment of black, second-generation Britons like himself; and "I Still Remember" is a terrific, Cure-worthy love song built around an irresistible, chiming guitar hook.\nOther songs are good but flawed. "Hunting For Witches" crackles with energy, but sounds a bit too much like Silent Alarm's "Helicopter," and its message (government and media-fed hysteria is more dangerous than terrorism) has become an indie rock cliché (regardless of its merits). "Waiting For the 7.18" is beautiful, but suffers from some of Okereke's goofiest lines (he says he wants to pick wild blackberries?) -- and evokes another cliché: the drudgery of working 9 to 5. "The Prayer," a mantra against stage fright, is novel but doesn't take off like the dancefloor-burner it seems intended to be. The rest follows this pattern: Plenty of exposition, not enough explosions.\nBut, throughout, the album is enjoyable and band's sheer talent is undeniable -- and this is just album No. 2, after all. So, here's hoping the Party continues.