A music-obsessed, retired San Francisco lawyer, and author of the rock & roll memoir Jittery White Guy Music (available on Amazon)... picking a random album or song in his collection every day or so and sharing a few thoughts.
I didn't really buy into all the hype about Interpol and the rest of the early aughts rising New York scene (particularly the Strokes, whom I've always found overrated). Still, I liked Interpol's 2002 debut Turn On The Bright Lights, and it's probably the only album of theirs, a few subsequent singles aside, I still play on occasion. Sure, there was the unabashed Joy Division reverence which got my attention, but I also liked the atmospheric moodiness they created. My favorite track from the LP is probably "NYC," which provides the LP its title. They slow things down to a crawl but without losing the haunting edge which made the band interesting. I relish the song's ambiguity (what is "the subway is a porno" supposed to mean?), the "New York cares" refrain walking a line between ironic distance and 9/11-era earnestness. As someone who both loves & hates NYC (the city, not the song), I find something deeply personal within the track. Plus, sonically, it's incredibly captivating, especially the breathtaking call-and-response vocals in the chorus.Live 2003:Unwoman cover:Philistines Jr. cover:
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