IN REVIEW: Interpol - "Marauder"

Somehow, someway, Interpol have found themselves one of the most enduring of the first wave of popular indie bands. Arriving sixteen years ago with the universally hailed Turn On the Bright Lights, they've gone through ups and downs over the course of their career and yet have become a dependable source of good music even if their albums have been less consistent and thrilling than their debut. That said, they've never made a truly bad record, just some underwhelming ones.

Marauder follows four years after the pleasantly surprising El Pintor, and kind of picks up where that left off. There are muscular and boisterous rockers such as lead single The Rover, middle-of-the-road moments of bliss like If You Really Love Nothing and Number 10, and peak-recalling driving jams like Flight of Fancy and NYSMAW. There are also a handful of off-brand experiments to break up potential monotony.

That said, the most remarkable thing about Marauder is its garbage production by Dave Fridmann, who I'm tired of talking about so I won't bother going into it here. Suffice to say, the album loses points as much for this as it does for its weaker tracks.

All told, Marauder is another perfectly fine Interpol album that's good to bolster their best-of playlist with a few more solid entries. It's no latter career rejuvenation, nor the last gasps of indie rock's elder statesmen. Fans will find enough on here to enjoy, and detractors will find enough on here to fuel their arguments. So, in a weird way, everybody's happy.

August 24, 2018 • Matador
Highlights If You Really Love Nothing • The Rover • Flight of Fancy

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