Last year Interpol revived their post-punk aesthetics on their sixth studio album, Marauder. Recorded during the same session with Dave Fridmann in 2017, the trio have unveiled their latest single “The Weekend” and a new EP, A Fine Mess, set to be released May 17th via Matador Records.
What quickly follows the EP’s title track, Interpol’s collection dances around a somber concept strewn closely with aggressive chords and a multitude of rhythmic drumming – prominent elements heard on their last album. To most this might be seen as an assortment of B-sides from Marauder where in a recent interview with NME, frontman Paul Banks clarified that these tracks were meant to be their own "body of work" and "this is a place rocking EP.”
“The Weekend” approaches this notion well, immediately taking a faster approach tempo-wise, but less distorted as the EP's last single "Fine Mess." Emitting a state of panic early on with its abrupt start, paired with Banks’ modulated tone and dark lyrics, "The Weekend" juxtaposes in sound for a more spirited feeling compared to prior releases.
Daniel Kessler crafts fresher and more melodious chords, coloring brightly to Sam Fogarino's warm, and sharp cracks on the drums. Banks continues to pen a farewell – "In rhythm surrounded by foreign / You stand in vision / I’ll sail away again" – and slowly shifts from reflection to a state of short-lived magic that ran only through the weekend.
Sitting neatly on the tracklist alongside "Real Life" which has been circulating live for several years, Interpol's 5-track EP will gear towards livelier bursts drenched in their intangible words for a broader audience to enjoy. The release will coincide with their summer festival slots and world tour, kicking off in Buenos Aires, Argentina, today and their North American leg beginning in May. You may also pre-order A Fine Mess here.
A Fine Mess Track List
1. “Fine Mess”
2. “No Big Deal”
3. “Real Life”
4. “The Weekend”
5. “Thrones”
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