Review by Dan:

Strums and drums fight for prominence on the debut album from Essex boys Bloc Party, obvious from the word go as first track “Like Eating Glass” opens with a cacophony of guitars, which give way to an essentially drum-led offering. Possibly the most familiar song, first single “Banquet”, starts with an interesting guitar interchange, but this may have passed some people by because, as first singles go, it probably didn’t get the exposure it deserved. Other highlights for me were the thoughtful lyrics on “Plans”, and the ridiculously speedy drums of “Luno”. On a more disappointing note, “Blue Light” is a bit of a filler, lacking the tempo of its companions, and “Compliments” is a weak ending considering the speed and desperation of its predecessors. In summary, whilst still on the subject of compliments, Bloc Party's influences seem to sit somewhere in the Joe Strummer/Damon Albarn/young Paul Weller category, and for me they’ve given their own take on the post punk guitar scene.