Turn On the Bright Lights

In the early days of the 21st century, New York was well and truly the place. The Strokes' breakthrough into the commercial sphere opened doors for further Big Apple acts to follow: LCD Soundsystem and Yeah Yeah Yeahs were great; A.R.E. Weapons, well, less so. And amid the throng, standing out in splendid suits, were Interpol.

Unlike the instant gratification of The Strokes' Is This It, Interpol's 2002 debut, Turn On the Bright Lights, became more rewarding the more you listened to it. It gradually revealed layer after layer of wit and guitar angularity - courtesy of the tremendously talented Daniel Kessler - that exceeded initial comparisons to Joy Division and The Psychedelic Furs.

The band assumed the role of observer, viewing its collective life with disconnection when delivering tales of the past. And all the time, the music came on like a funereal R.E.M., the tone suggestive of souls having spent time enough with unpleasant encounters.

The big draw of this tenth anniversary reissue is the bonus disc of demos and live sessions. The demo version of PDA is more lightweight than its album counterpart, but it illustrates how important Paul Banks' finding of his fullest voice was to Interpol's aesthetic success - that, and the questionable Nazi-recalling fashion sense of bassist Carlos Dengler.

Over the course of the additional CD, the extras reveal a band in a state of transformation towards an icier, darker proposition. Gavilan (Cubed) is amongst its most interesting curios, threatening as it does to launch into New Order's Elegia at any moment. Looking to the main album itself, NYC is a perfect post-9/11 hymn to the band's hometown, and might be their finest moment to this day.

Elsewhere, PDA chimes and drones gloriously, as does Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down. As for the concluding Leif Erikson, it's more likely the catalyst for the formation of Editors than any influential Joy Division track.

Turn On the Bright Lights is a modern classic. It seems easy, today, to name standout albums of 20 years ago; but ones from just a decade past can be few and far between. This set, though, is one truly worth celebrating.

"Surprise sometime will come around" are the first words you hear when you play Interpol's debut album Turn On The Bright Lights. Surprise indeed when a band you've never heard of suddenly re-establishes your faith in the wonder of music. Surprise indeed when a four-piece from New York can stand out so vividly from the crowd; from all the other indie albums released this year.

The first two songs on Turn On The BrightLights are stunning. Guitars squeal, drums are beaten and vocals sung with mesmerising energy. The second song, "Obstacle 1", slowly builds to an expected climax but instead of the final roar the vocals are suddenly soft, sweet and soothing.

Yes, they're from New York City and they wear sharp suits but thankfully this isn't another punk or post-punk 'play it loud!' release. The music does sound very American; images of driving through North American cities, late at night in the rain come to mind. This album is more mature and more inventive than recent so-called punk bands. The songs are frequently manic and frenzied but just before you burn out they slow down and become melodious.

"I'm sick of spending these lonely nights, training myself not to care" cries lead singer Paul on "NYC";matching the miserable beauty that Radiohead master so well.

Two more great songs follow; "PDA" and "Say Hello To The Angels" have killer guitar riffs, relentless drumming and melancholic choruses. They're easily on a par with their apparent influences;early REM and Joy Division. The vocals are an important part of the success of Turn On The BrightLights. When Paul proclaims "Friends don't waste wine when there's words to sell", in "Obstacle 2", I'm not quite sure what he means but from his tone of voice I'm left with no alternative but to agree with him.

I'm reminded of several great bands and songs when I listen to this album but I find it difficult to pinpoint exactly which ones. Therein lies the secret to the power of this record. Interpol have absorbed several decades of great music and produced something familiar, yet fresh and new. Faultless.