New York City in the 2000s was a time of musical renaissance and uncertainty. After The Strokes released Is This It in 2001, a stripped-down Lofi rock and roll style replaced the self-loathing nu metal like Korn and Linkin Park in the mainstream. Following a strict dress code of leather jackets, skinny jeans, and denim, The Strokes pioneered what we would now refer to as the rock revival. Many other NYC bands followed The Strokes in the years after: the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem, and TV On The Radio. However, there was one band that stood out from the rest. Instead of thrifted clothing and catchy hooks, one particularly moody group favored well-tailored suits and dark but shimmering tones. Hailing from Manhattan was Interpol, a melange of Joy Division-era baritone post-punk and 2000s Strokes-inspired garage rock.

Interpol was formed by lead guitarist and keyboardist Daniel Kessler in 1997, and the other members include Paul Banks on rhythm guitar and vocals, Sam Fogarino on drums, and the bass guitar legend Carlos Dengler. The band released their debut LP Turn on the Bright Lights in 2002, which was received extremely well. With Paul Bank’s dark baritone voice and one of the tightest rhythm sections to ever bless indie rock, the album became a touchstone for moody indie bands to come.

Interpol band performs in Madrid.
Left to right, Daniel Kessler, Sam Fogarino, and Paul Banks.

ShutterStock: 731141821 by Christian Bertrand

Something to say, something to do

Turn on the Bright Lights opens with the track titled “Untitled.” It begins with Daniel’s simplistic reverb-laden guitar riffs, leading into a hypnotizing drum beat and a meandering bass line. Paul’s deep voice and weird guitar bursts can be heard throughout the song as well. Overall, it’s an amazing mood-setter which creates an atmosphere unmatched by other post-punk bands. The next track, “Obstacle 1,” is an anthemic banger of a song that highlights what each member of the band does best. Paul and Daniel’s guitar interplay is featured heavily in this song, their parts blend together seamlessly. The rest of the album has a mix of high-energy tracks and dark references to cannibalism (see track Roland).

A few of the highlights on the album include “PDA”, “The New”, and “Leif Erickson”. “PDA” begins with a claustrophobic instrumental in typical Interpol fashion, piercing reverb guitars included. Paul sings about sleeping on two-hundred different couches and sedating a lover, hinting at a crippling long-term relationship. After the second chorus, the song kicks off into a coda that sounds completely different from anything previously done. “PDA” shifts from a dark post-punk rock atmosphere into a melancholic ascent to whatever dwells above humanity. Each musician layers their parts above Daniel Kessler’s riffing, and the song ends with Daniel taking the microphone, wailing “Nothing to say/when there’s nothing to do.”

“The New” is a song about a relationship that is doomed to end, and the speaker believes that he himself is the reason his relationship is going to reach its fate. The song begins soft and melancholic but progresses to some of the heaviest and malicious-sounding detuned riffage toward the end of the song. The harmonized piercing guitars courtesy of Daniel and Paul found on previous tracks appears again to let the listener know about the manic nature of the speaker in the song, and the beginning of the active ignorance of his faults just for another night of staying together. The song climaxes toward the end into a prolonged burst of energy, probably either symbolizing a rough break-up or one of the two partners going crazy.

Turn on the Bright Lights went on to become the primary reference for other works, as well as influencing several other moody indie artists to come in the years after. Critically acclaimed group The Killers cite Interpol’s debut as the primary inspiration for the vocal delivery and music style of their own debut, Hot Fuss. It can be heard in Brandon Flowers (singer for The Killers) monotonous lines on “Mr. Brightside” and “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine.”

You Should Be In My Space

Following Interpol’s debut was an album that rivaled even some of the greatest indie works today. During the year 2004, Interpol released their sophomore effort Antics through Matador Records, and the record featured Interpol’s biggest single “Evil.” The album was a more refined and polished Turn on the Bright Lights. The band went on to continue releasing singles and studio albums, with their most recent one called The Other Side of Make-Believe. Their mutable style prevents their music from being repetitive, and there’s always something new to get hooked on.