EP Review: Bloc Party – The Nextwave Sessions

Four albums and several headlining tours since first breaking ground with 2005’s Silent Alarm, Bloc Party have returned with The Nextwave Sessions EP; a record that manages to simultaneously dredge up their glory years and push forward into new territory.

‘Ratchet’ is first to burst through the gates. From an explosive start rich in funky electronic beats and fast-paced guitar progressions, it’s hard to see this one failing to make anyone dance. It’s a feel good track that’s all about making life count and getting wild once in a while.

‘Obscene’ follows, acting as a complete about-turn from ‘Ratchet’’s carefree careenings; a slow track, not yet a slow jam and not yet a ballad. It is a little soft and different from the Bloc Party that most may be used to. Possessed of a heavy reliance on electronics and drum machines, it’s an emotional reveal as Kele Okereke pours his heart out, wishing an old lover happiness.

Now, ‘French Exit’ is the Bloc Party that most people will be used to. We’re talking rough and ready guitar sounds, cross-pollinating guitar riffs and a ton of crashing cymbals. It’s a pleasant return to pastures old. ‘Children of the Future’, meanwhile, is slower and more concentrated, finding itself in a strange hinterland between Radiohead and Sonic Youth.

All in all, The Nextwave Sessions EP provides a good variety of sounds, from loud and powerful rock tracks with consistent clashes of cymbals and heavy guitar sounds (‘Ratchet’, ‘French Exit’) through to softer, more personal tracks (‘Obscene’, ‘Montreal’). The most rewarding thing Bloc Party fans will take away from this EP is that although Bloc Party seems to be branching out of their typical sound and mixing it up these days, they’ll always be prepared to indulge in a bit of nostalgic revelry, too. As a final hurrah before the band takes an extended hiatus, it’s a pleasant enough record; it’s just far from an Earth-shattering one.

– Jess Edwards