Bloc Party - Hymns

It would take a  brave man to bet on what a new Bloc Party album might sound like going into 2016. New members + new dynamics + new influences equals? Basically, nobody has a fucking clue. The Love Within is definitely in the mold of Kele’s previous solo work. Stomping bass drums, an uplifting chorus and a lot of confusing sounds from instruments you didn’t know existed. Only He Can Heal Me takes shape as a very dark gospel-like track and gives the first of series of many blindingly obvious lyrical clues as to why the album is called Hymns. The album teams with reference to faith as well as reflective and repentant themes. None more so than in the infectious rock of The Good News, ‘Every day, I’ve gone down to the water and I pray’ Kele reflects before launching into a beefy, gospel friendly chorus. Bloc Party have never been a band to stand still and piss in the wind. Its not hard notice a departure from frenetic guitars to an ambient electro theme. So it’s obvious that not every Bloc Party fan will like Hymns. However, much like faith itself, how the album ranks against previous releases is definitely open to interpretation.