Bloc Party returned after a two-year hiatus with
Hymns, the first set of songs to feature drummer Louise Bartle and bassist Justin Harris, formerly of the band
Menomena.
Kele Okereke's fondness for soaring choruses and meditations on sex, drugs, and faith -- and how they often blur together -- provide the main connection to the band's previous work. Backed by slide guitars and a stomping beat,
Okereke sings "I used to find my answers in the gospels of St. John/Now I find them in the bottom of a shot glass" on "The Good News."
Hymns' ballads are some of its strongest moments, and the most reminiscent of
Bloc Party 1.0 and
Okereke's solo career. "My True Name" and "Fortress" serve as reminders that their plaintive melodies and soul-baring are still potent, while "Different Drugs'" chemically enhanced portrait of being alone together recalls
Bloc Party's highest emotional peaks. "So Real" and "Into the Earth" are intimate, guitar-driven sketches that make the most of
Hymns' more straightforward sounds and emotions while taking the band's music in new directions. ~ Heather Phares