Whether you love or hate Interpol's second album "Antics" depends on how you felt about "Turn On The Bright Lights." If you liked their debut, chances are you'll like this one too. With their polished sound, Interpol rose to prominance above most of their New York rawk cousins (except the Strokes), and "Antics" gets to expand their sound further.

Too often Interpol is fingered as a mere Joy Division imitator -- especially since the music is good, but hardly genius-level. Maybe it's those accusations that gives "Antics" a slightly wounded, tired feel. The songs aren't quite as much of a jolt as songs like "NYC," but the heavier, darker feel is just as powerful... if not more so.

"Next Exit" is a bit of a jolt, with its slow organ and solid percussion. There's a gritty Pixies feel to "Evil," with its smashing bassline, the funky pop of "Length of Love," and a sort of vague nautical theme to songs like "Take you on a Cruise," with its cries of "[Insert color here] temptress of the sea, you treat me right."

Musically it's bouncier and more upbeat at times. There are solid melodies, angular guitars, and a sound that is far more expansive than what they've done before. Previously it sounded like Interpol was reining in their music a little. But with the pressure of a new album, they seem to have let rip with their expressive, complex melodies.

Paul Banks sounds resigned to the emotions churned up in "Antics." But he really sounds good, especially when he's anguished. And it's a good thing that he does such a stellar job, because the lyrics can border on cringeworthy. "Complex salacious removal"? "The pole dance of the stars"? It's either brilliant, or terrible -- either way, only a good band could have lines that that, and still have fans.

While the lyrics are kind of iffy, the music and "vibe" of "Antics" is a sign that Interpol might be on a lot of "Best of 2004" lists by the end of the year. Solid, moody and very listenable.

First of all, the main album is very good. While it isn't as as good as their debut, it is a solid 4* album. I'm sure other reviews can do it justice.

I found myself disappointed with the bonus CD. Song Seven is a decent enough bonus track, but is nothing special. Narc is soft, quiet, and acoustic, which to me does not really fit the song very well. The Not Even Jail remix is horrible. The sounds laid on top really distract from things and make it really difficult to listen to. Length of Love is a bit boring as a techno song. Public Pervert is the best of the remixes, but stretching the song out to eight minutes is excessive. The bottom line is that these remixes do not fit the songs well. They don't play to Interpol's strengths at all, and really don't add much of anything. I don't anticipate listening to them much at all and give the CD 2*.

Even though I had the original version, I figured that at the discounted price, the special edition CD would be a worthwhile purchase. Nope. Big fans will want the stuff, but if that doesn't describe you, I'd pass.

For people who haven't bought the original version of Interpol's second album "Antics", this is that same album reissued with whatever was on the singles. Except for the one new track, the bonus material on such singles was of no interest to me, since they were remixes of songs. Also, the one bonus song on the "Evil" single was available for mp3 download from a special Open Disc Interpol website accessible only by using the "Antics" CD. However, if you haven't bought the original album, you should know that the bonus song, called "Song Seven" (which is actually a few years old but was rerecorded during the Antics sessions), may not be available on that special website anymore, and having it in CD quality is worth it, since it is perhaps better than all the official "Antics" songs; it's that good.

As some reviewers correctly point out, this album will inevitably draw comparisons with Interpol's "Turn On The Bright Lights" debut. That debut was a strong multi-influenced album with great strokes of creativity, a refreshing surprise in the stagnating rock world.

I consider the whole line of arguments about Interpol "copying" former 80s legend-bands utter rubbish. It would have whatever merit if it were possible to still sound original nowadays whilst making rock music. I'm not saying it's impossible but it surely is extremely difficult.

Starting from there, it was a sure bet that Interpol's influences would surface again in their second album. As with their debut, the only question that remained was "will the result match their first effort". In other words, it was, and will still be by the time Interpol release their next album, whether Interpol can blend their heavily respected influences into a mix that captivates as they did in the past.

My verdict is that this time around the formula hasn't worked. While "Antics" is by no means a bad album, it certainly is no "Turn on the bright lights". In fact it's quite a fall on the inspiration barometer. It's tricky to try and pinpoint what's missing here, or to be more precise, to try and put it into words, but my feeling is that the missing element is the dark intensity that was masterfully distributed in their debut.

The songs found here tend more to slow tempo (or ballads if the temrs suits you better) and less to faster clear cut rock songs. All of them can be easily and pleasantly "consumed" but without the after effect Interpol's previous songs had. You listen to them, and with the exception of 2 maybe 3 songs, you dont have the feeling you've heard something markedly great. But you know all too well that the quality is still there.

Interpol gained a horde of fans 2 years ago with their debut and i assume a lot of the overhyped positive reviews about this album have to do more with defending the group's reputation from a fan point of view rather than the quality of "Antics".

As it is, Interpol remain a very interesting group to keep an ear out for. This was after all the "difficult second album". I expect them to jump back to their original levels of creativity when the third time comes around.

More people should listen to Fugazi.

Oh wait! This a review for Interpols new album. Yeah. Its kinda boring. Lacks a good track mix and definitely is not as good as their first and amazing album, Turn On The Bright Lights. The Joy Division thing is getting old. On the first album the singers voice did sound alot like Ian Curtis. Albeit without the pain and suffering behind Curtis's voice. The music on the other hand, did not and does not sound all that much like Joy Division. Anyways, this CD is boring. Its got some good tracks, like "Slow Hands" that would've felt very at home on the first CD. But i have tried many times to get into this and I just can't. The music sounds much more like Gang Of Four (which is a good thing, but nothing new at this point 30 years later) than other comparisons. Choppy chunky disco basslines and post rock guitars. Songs about love and alienation. Oh yeah, Listen to Fugazi! jeez, dont you ever want to hear something new? So, to all the HIGH SCHOOL KIDS: this is post punk. Not new to many of us, but maybe new to you. Its good, enjoy it, But search further and seek out Fugazi and their label mates (any of them, Q and Not U, Smart Went Crazy, Nation Of Ulysses) and you will be doing yourself a great justice by expanding your musical horizons. And if you need to find all the good stuff that preceded this, find New Order, A Certain Ratio, ESG, and Gang of Four. They still sound new by todays standards.

EDIT TWO YEARS LATER!

I LOVE THIS ALBUM! IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GROW ON ME. AS IS THE CASE WITH SOME OTHER ALBUMS THAT TOOK TIME TO GROW ON ME, IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ALBUMS IN A HUGE COLLECTION OF RECORDS THAT I OWN! IT HAS MADE ME LIKE INTERPOL EVEN MORE, IT IS AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER AT TIMES THEN THE DEBUT ALBUM. I TRULY LOVE EVERY SONG AND I EAGERLY ANTICIPATE THEIR NEXT RECORDING. SORRY FOR THE SCATHING PREVIOUS REVIEW!