Silent Alarm

Few examples of indie pop’s imperious mid-'00s are as exhilarating as Bloc Party’s decidedly loud wake-up call of a debut. Shepherded by art rock Midas Paul Epworth, Kele Okereke, Russell Lissack, Gordon Moakes and Matt Tong storm through a near-flawless set that possibly hits its giddy peak amid the gunshot drums and jagged riffs of “Banquet”. It’s not all the stuff of packed, sticky dance floors though—”This Modern Love” trades the post-punk blitzkrieg for swelling harmonies and an emotional uppercut that proves just as powerful as all that frenetic fretwork.