Silent Alarm (album)
Encyclopedia
Silent Alarm is the debut studio album
by British indie rock
band Bloc Party
. Recorded in Copenhagen and London in mid-2004 with producer Paul Epworth
, it was released in February 2005 on Wichita Recordings
. The record peaked at number three on the United Kingdom Albums Chart
. In the United States, it entered the Billboard 200
at number 114 and the Billboard Top Independent Albums at number seven. The double A-side "So Here We Are/Positive Tension", "Banquet
", and "Pioneers
" were released as singles
. Silent Alarm went on to achieve worldwide sales of over one million copies.
Bloc Party aimed to create an album that appealed to followers of different musical genres. Building on the arrangements in their demo
songs recorded in 2004, the band members moulded tracks largely through live takes during the Silent Alarm studio sessions. The compositional focus was on rhythm and the drum and bass parts, while lyricist Kele Okereke
's writing examined the feelings and hopes of young adults, including views on global politics. Following the album's completion, Bloc Party embarked on promotional tours before its release.
Four singles were released from the album: "So Here We Are/Positive Tension", "Banquet
", "Pioneers
" and "Two More Years
" (the latter only appeared on the re-released version of the album). The album also included the previously released singles "She's Hearing Voices
" (which was re-recorded for the album) & "Helicopter
" on the original release of the album, with "Little Thoughts
" also added to the re-released version of the album. A remix of the song "Like Eating Glass
" was also released as a split-single with the band The Futureheads
by Oxfam
.
Silent Alarm garnered widespread critical acclaim. Praise often centred on its fast tempo
and passionate delivery. The record was generally treated as showcasing the potential high quality of British music. Later in 2005, it was remix
ed as Silent Alarm Remixed
and was re-released with bonus tracks to coincide with Bloc Party's worldwide touring schedule. The album has received accolades throughout the music industry since its release.
, and bassist Gordon Moakes
. After drummer Matt Tong auditioned and joined the trio, the band members' songwriting evolved and they started crafting tracks for Silent Alarm. Discussing the first demo "She's Hearing Voices
", Okereke has stated that it "was really just a drum beat, which was something we couldn't do before because we relied on writing songs only with guitars". Self-recorded in a small, hired space in Acton, London
, the song was followed by the May 2004 double A-side single, "Banquet/Staying Fat
", produced by Paul Epworth. The Bloc Party EP
was subsequently released by Moshi Moshi Records
in the UK, containing all three previous songs and new material.
After exposés in British magazines and newspapers and a successful performance on BBC Radio 1
, Bloc Party received a contract offer from Parlophone
. The band members declined the opportunity because they did not want to work for a major record label and instead signed a recording contract with East London independent label Wichita Recordings, chosen because it did not want to stamp its agenda on the conception of records. Frontman and chief writer Okereke wanted Silent Alarm to emphasise the importance of finding pleasure in small mundane things, because "those are the sort of things that can be incredibly touching". The album was borne out of "a nagging youthful urgency" and the realisation that responsibility has to be taken for the first time as a young adult. Before recording started, Okereke attended singing lessons to open up his voice.
problems. Although the band members had preliminary ideas about a track's rhythm, they did not know how songs were going to start or end. Okereke often asked Tong to play something on the drums, which inspired him to mould a track by adding guitar chords
to the beat.
Bloc Party's priority when recording Silent Alarm was "to give the music more depth, sonically speaking" rather than focus on making a punk funk
record. The band believed that 21st-century rock music could only survive if people started "mixing styles that aren't supposed to be together". Okereke has suggested that forward-thinking bands reach a plateau and start to question the boundaries of their medium; this leads to experimentation with elements from other genres. Bloc Party set out to explore the idea of merging different styles in the debut album, rather than in later work. Silent Alarm was crafted to appeal to R&B, electro, and pop
fans, on top of the band's core indie rock fanbase. Okereke wanted the album to sound "very rich and full".
Preferring live recording takes for better sound authenticity, Epworth's style separated the band's elements by accentuating the bass and by allowing the guitarists space to improvise. The producer meticulously tuned and retuned the components of the drum kit
for a specific sound and used ribbon
or condenser microphones lined up in an equidistant formation. According to Lissack, the basic idea was to emulate the "optimum audio representation" of songs heard in a club environment by adding guitar lines on top of boosted drum and bass tracks. Epworth advised Bloc Party to shape dynamics
"a bit more subtly". As the sessions progressed, the band members started experimenting with distortion pedals to add to their "chiming, clean guitar sound", although they did not listen to the producer about song structure. In the end, 15 tracks were recorded in 22 days in Copenhagen, while the vocal overdubbing
was subsequently done at London locations. Throughout the studio sessions, Okereke focused closely on the nuances of songs by often amending "microscopics".
Epworth's bass-oriented production was key to creating a universally appealing album and was also used as a musical background to the lyrics. Okereke has explained that the songs were crafted to balance dark lyrics with uplifting melodies. He called the final version of Silent Alarm "technicolour
" due to its stylistic choices and indicated that Bloc Party achieved the aim of making the songs sound "better and bigger" when they were recorded in the studio. Moakes later pointed out that the band members were relative novices when they entered the recording sessions, and that for the most part they only did what they were advised; this is an additional reason why the album is disjunct and not focused on any particular musical style.
' "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
" Okereke heard in 2002. Its drum track was deliberately mixed
louder than usual to add emphasis to the album's opening. "Helicopter" has a quick tempo of 171 beats per minute, while "Positive Tension" begins with a solitary bassline
and builds up pace, first with a rhythmic drumming pattern, and then with a guitar solo
towards its conclusion. "Banquet" involves lead guitar
and rhythm guitar
playing in syncopation
, while "Blue Light" has a slower tempo and a crescendo
towards the end. During the studio sessions, the Bloc Party EP version of "She's Hearing Voices" was reworked to include reverberation
and stereo
separation of the instrumental parts. "This Modern Love" begins minimally with panned
vocals before the rhythm section enters the mix and the song intensifies.
The second half of Silent Alarm includes more studio effects. "Pioneers" opens with a series of delayed guitar harmonics
, while "Price of Gas" is driven by a marching-like sound created by Moakes walking in the studio with planks of wood strapped to his feet. "So Here We Are" is the only track on the album to not include vocal overdubbing. The song contains layered audio tracks of guitar and is followed by "Luno", which begins with 32 bars
of bass guitar and drums. "Plans" has a slower tempo and uses a synthesiser and effects such as flanging
during the chorus. The final track, "Compliments", incorporates an electronic drum kit and the use of reverberation.
and musicians Thom Yorke
and Björk
. In general, Silent Alarm tries to make clear an existential
pointlessness in life. With hindsight, Okereke noted themes of "helplessness and weariness" because of the album's focus on how he was feeling between the ages of 18 and 20. Professor John Sutherland has pointed out literary elements, often similar to Sylvia Plath
's work, in the lyricist's writing. Discussing the opening track "Like Eating Glass", he explained, "It strikes me that whoever did the lyrics must have read some of her work. It has the same rather jagged, surprising imagery. It could sit fairly comfortably in a poetry anthology." The recurring line "We've got crosses on our eyes" is inspired by cartoon characters who have crosses on their eyes when they die. Okereke tried to convey the feelings in a failing relationship, "of being completely disorientated", using childhood metaphors.
According to Heather Phares of Allmusic, "Pioneers" and "Price of Gas" exemplify the political undercurrent on Silent Alarm, the latter including the explicit chant "War / War / War / War". "Helicopter" focuses in equal measure on America's "red states" and on UK apathy
and "the people queueing for the McDonald's
by [Okereke's] house". "Positive Tension" concerns boredom and its dangers, focusing on how it "can lead you into dark places", while "Banquet" details "how sex is about power, submission, domination and real rapacious desire". The lyrics in the chorus of "She's Hearing Voices", "Red pill / Blue pill / Milk of amnesia
", are in reference to the medications a friend of Okereke's took to relieve the symptoms of schizophrenia
. The lyricist has described the moment in "This Modern Love" when the backing vocals enter the mix before the second chorus as "perfect", because it evokes the idea of "two people on the telephone, who can't touch each other, and as the song and the conversation progress, everything amplifies".
, while the band performed several gigs at the end of the year in the US and Canada. The release of Silent Alarm was preceded by the marketing of Little Thoughts EP in Japan in December 2004, containing previous UK singles "Little Thoughts/Tulips
" and "Helicopter
" and new material. Bloc Party commenced UK promotional touring in January 2005 by performing during the NME Awards Tour. "Tulips
" was released from Little Thoughts EP in the US on 25 January. The first single from Silent Alarm, "So Here We Are/Positive Tension", was released on 31 January and peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart
, the bands second highest peaking release on the chart (behind 2007's "The Prayer
" which reached number 4). Between 31 January and 4 February, Bloc Party performed after autograph signing sessions in UK HMV
stores. The band achieved exposure largely because of word-of-mouth and favourable press reviews.
Silent Alarm was released on 2 and 14 February 2005, in Japan and Europe respectively. Chosen because the album has a sense of disquiet, the name comes from an article in New Scientist
about an early detection system for earthquakes in Japan, while the cover art is based on a bare winter landscape by freelance photographer Ness Sherry. Bloc Party followed the album's release with a short European promotional tour in early March 2005. Between 17 March and 9 April, the band undertook a first headlining US tour to coincide with the American release of Silent Alarm through Vice Records on 22 March. The US marketing was geared to establish a long-term fan base among "tastemakers and early-adopter rock enthusiasts", rather than a short-term emphasis on radio play. At the time, Okereke stated, "All I’m concerned about is playing live shows here to people who want to see us."
at number three, selling 61,737 copies during the first week in the former country. The album achieved gold certification within 24 hours of its European release. 350,000 copies were shipped worldwide by the first week of March 2005; 20,000 were sent to America, double the record labels' January forecast. In the US, the record entered the Billboard 200 at number 114 and the Billboard Top Independent Albums at number seven. With little radio support, it became the best-selling release in Vice's history as a label. 123,000 copies of Silent Alarm were sold in the US by the end of July 2005. The record was listed at number 75 in the end-of-year UK Album Chart and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
after more than 500,000 copies were sold in the UK during 2005. According to Nielsen SoundScan
, 280,000 copies of the album were sold in the US by January 2007. More than one million copies have been sold worldwide.
reports a normalised
rating of 82% based on 32 critical reviews which indicates "universal acclaim". Drowned in Sound
's Gen Williams described the album as "mature and expansive" and wrote that "the autonomy, creativity and sheer, elastic beauty that spans this debut more than justifies the rapidly accelerating hype". Andrew Romano of Newsweek
similarly noted that it "lives up to the hype". Summing the record up as "dance rock, but highly caffeinated", Barry Walters of Rolling Stone
explained that the tracks are emotive and rhythmic in equal measure, while Nick Southall of Stylus
thought that every song is "full of thrilling ideas and inspired moments". Johnny Davis of Q
labelled Silent Alarm "an arty, confident and exhilirating debut", while Joshua Glazer of URB compared Bloc Party to "every legendary band ever who followed an EP with an even better album and on into greatness". The Guardian
s Alexis Petridis
was less receptive and commented that the "reedy vocals and lyrical evocations of suburban ennui ... induce a worrying ennui of their own". Heather Phares of Allmusic stated that the record is not perfect, but praised its "passion and polish".
Romano and Glazer compared Silent Alarm to U2
's early work, while Walters claimed that it distills "twenty-five years of spiky British rock, from the Cure
to Blur
to hot Scots Franz Ferdinand
". Pitchfork Media
's Nitsuh Adebe noted particular similarities between "Banquet" and Franz Ferdinand's debut single "Take Me Out
", calling both songs "wonderfully tight and energetic—the same kind of spiffy half-dancing rock". Phares suggested that Bloc Party are more comfortable with lyrical proclamations than their contemporaries Franz Ferdinand or The Futureheads
, while Imran Ahmed of NME concluded, "Silent Alarm is no Franz Ferdinand
. In fact, listen to it with the words 'popular' and 'arty' in mind and its spirit is closer to the Manic Street Preachers
' The Holy Bible
."
at the start of May and completed a headlining tour of the US in June. The band members played their first concerts in Australia in July and spent the whole of August on the European festivals circuit. The remix album Silent Alarm Remixed was released on 29 August 2005 following Bloc Party's headlining slots at the Reading and Leeds Festivals
on 26–28 August. The record includes reworked versions of all original tracks by artists such as Ladytron
, Death From Above 1979
, and Nick Zinner
from Yeah Yeah Yeahs
.
In September 2005, the band members embarked on their second major worldwide tour of the year; they played several gigs in North America between 8 and 24 September. Another headlining UK tour during the whole of October coincided with the release of new single "Two More Years
". Silent Alarm was re-released in the UK on 17 October 2005 with "Little Thoughts" and "Two More Years" as bonus tracks. It contained a bonus DVD, God Bless Bloc Party, which included Bloc Party's two June performances and backstage footage at El Rey Theatre
, Los Angeles. Dan McIntosh of PopMatters
stated that the concert documentary shows the band "can consistently pull off its material live", but concluded that it focuses on Bloc Party "much too intently, far too soon".
' second album I Am a Bird Now
. It was also nominated for the 2005 Shortlist Music Prize
, but lost to Sufjan Stevens
' fifth album Illinois
. The record was named Album Of The Year for 2005 by NME ahead of Arcade Fire's debut album Funeral
, by Intro in Germany, and by Rumore in Italy. URB included Silent Alarm in its unnumbered shortlist of the best records of 2005. It figured highly in other end-of-year best album lists: at number two by Hot Press
and by Stylus, at number four by Drowned in Sound, at number six by Spin
, at number seven by Metacritic's chief editor, and at number nine by The Denver Post
. Silent Alarm earned Bloc Party several nominations, including Best Alternative Act at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards
, Best British Band at the 2006 NME Awards
, and Artist Of The Year at the 2006 PLUG Awards. The record itself won Indie Rock Album Of The Year at the 2006 PLUG Awards. It was also nominated as Best Album at the 2006 NME Awards, and as Album Of The Year at the 2006 PLUG Awards.
In 2006, NME placed Silent Alarm at number 55 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever!, while Drowned in Sound ranked it at number three in its list of the editorial staff's 66 favourite albums of 2000–2006. In 2009, Clash
placed the record at number 11 in its list of the 50 Greatest Albums, 2004–2009. The same year, Pitchfork Media ranked it at number 156 in its list of The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s, while NME included it at number 38 in the list of The Top 100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade decided by the publication's staff and music industry members. In 2010, Stylus placed Silent Alarm at number 31 in its list of the Top Albums of the previous decade.
CD hidden track
Vinyl
DVD
Bloc Party
Production
Artwork
Singles
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
"X" denotes song not released in a particular country.
"=" denotes track not eligible for a particular chart.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by British indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Bloc Party
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are a British Indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes , and Matt Tong...
. Recorded in Copenhagen and London in mid-2004 with producer Paul Epworth
Paul Epworth
Paul Epworth is an award-winning British music producer, musician, and songwriter. His production credits include Adele, Cee Lo Green, Florence and the Machine, Plan B, Friendly Fires, Bloc Party, Primal Scream, The Rapture, Jack Peñate, Kate Nash and Maxïmo Park.-Lomax:From 2002-2004 Paul provided...
, it was released in February 2005 on Wichita Recordings
Wichita Recordings
Wichita Recordings is an independent record label located in London, founded in 2000 by Mark Bowen and Dick Green. Its most notable signees are Bloc Party, The Cribs, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Her Space Holiday, Los Campesinos! and Peter Bjorn and John...
. The record peaked at number three on the United Kingdom Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. In the United States, it entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number 114 and the Billboard Top Independent Albums at number seven. The double A-side "So Here We Are/Positive Tension", "Banquet
Banquet (song)
"Banquet" is a song from British band Bloc Party's debut album Silent Alarm. Originally released on a double A-side single "Banquet" is a song from British band Bloc Party's debut album Silent Alarm. Originally released on a double A-side single "Banquet" is a song from British band Bloc...
", and "Pioneers
Pioneers (song)
"Pioneers" is a single by Bloc Party from their debut album Silent Alarm. It was released in the United Kingdom by Wichita Recordings on 18 July 2005 and reached number 18 in the UK Singles Chart. Due to an error printing, it was called "The Pioneers" on the album track-listing...
" were released as singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. Silent Alarm went on to achieve worldwide sales of over one million copies.
Bloc Party aimed to create an album that appealed to followers of different musical genres. Building on the arrangements in their demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
songs recorded in 2004, the band members moulded tracks largely through live takes during the Silent Alarm studio sessions. The compositional focus was on rhythm and the drum and bass parts, while lyricist Kele Okereke
Kele Okereke
Kelechukwu "Kele" Rowland Okereke is a British musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party.-Early life:...
's writing examined the feelings and hopes of young adults, including views on global politics. Following the album's completion, Bloc Party embarked on promotional tours before its release.
Four singles were released from the album: "So Here We Are/Positive Tension", "Banquet
Banquet (song)
"Banquet" is a song from British band Bloc Party's debut album Silent Alarm. Originally released on a double A-side single "Banquet" is a song from British band Bloc Party's debut album Silent Alarm. Originally released on a double A-side single "Banquet" is a song from British band Bloc...
", "Pioneers
Pioneers (song)
"Pioneers" is a single by Bloc Party from their debut album Silent Alarm. It was released in the United Kingdom by Wichita Recordings on 18 July 2005 and reached number 18 in the UK Singles Chart. Due to an error printing, it was called "The Pioneers" on the album track-listing...
" and "Two More Years
Two More Years (song)
"Two More Years" is a single by Bloc Party. It charted at number 7 in the UK Singles Chart making it the second of the bands top 10 hits.- Track listing :All lyrics by Kele Okereke...
" (the latter only appeared on the re-released version of the album). The album also included the previously released singles "She's Hearing Voices
She's Hearing Voices
"She's Hearing Voices" is a song by Bloc Party that was first released on 7" vinyl by London-based independent label Trash Aesthetics in February 2004. It also appeared on their 2004 Bloc Party ...
" (which was re-recorded for the album) & "Helicopter
Helicopter (song)
"Helicopter" is a song by English rock band Bloc Party that was originally released in the UK in 2004 on the Little Thoughts EP, and two years later as a single from their debut album, Silent Alarm it the US. The song was received with much acclaim, reaching number 29 on the UK Singles Chart on its...
" on the original release of the album, with "Little Thoughts
Little Thoughts/Tulips
"Little Thoughts"/"Tulips" is a double A-sided single by British band Bloc Party. It peaked at number 38 on the UK Singles Chart....
" also added to the re-released version of the album. A remix of the song "Like Eating Glass
Like Eating Glass
"Like Eating Glass" is a song by Bloc Party from their critically acclaimed debut album "Silent Alarm". It is the first track on the album. The song is one of their most popular amongst fans. The lyrics, which as is typical of the band's early work, are poetic and ambiguous, and deal with feelings...
" was also released as a split-single with the band The Futureheads
The Futureheads
The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland. consisting of Ross Millard , Barry Hyde and David "Jaff" Craig...
by Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
.
Silent Alarm garnered widespread critical acclaim. Praise often centred on its fast tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
and passionate delivery. The record was generally treated as showcasing the potential high quality of British music. Later in 2005, it was remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed as Silent Alarm Remixed
Silent Alarm Remixed
Silent Alarm Remixed is the remix album to Silent Alarm, the debut album by British indie rock band Bloc Party. It was released on 29 August 2005 in the British Isles on Wichita Recordings, the band's primary label, and on 13 September 2005 in the United States through Vice Records to coincide with...
and was re-released with bonus tracks to coincide with Bloc Party's worldwide touring schedule. The album has received accolades throughout the music industry since its release.
Background
In 2003, Bloc Party consisted of guitarists Kele Okereke and Russell LissackRussell Lissack
Russell Dean Lissack is an English musician best known as the lead guitarist of London based indie rock band, Bloc Party. Lissack is also in the electronica band Pin Me Down; a duo of himself and Milena Mepris...
, and bassist Gordon Moakes
Gordon Moakes
Gordon Peter Moakes is an English multi-instrumentalist and backing vocalist for English indie rock band Bloc Party.-Bloc Party:...
. After drummer Matt Tong auditioned and joined the trio, the band members' songwriting evolved and they started crafting tracks for Silent Alarm. Discussing the first demo "She's Hearing Voices
She's Hearing Voices
"She's Hearing Voices" is a song by Bloc Party that was first released on 7" vinyl by London-based independent label Trash Aesthetics in February 2004. It also appeared on their 2004 Bloc Party ...
", Okereke has stated that it "was really just a drum beat, which was something we couldn't do before because we relied on writing songs only with guitars". Self-recorded in a small, hired space in Acton, London
Acton, London
Acton is a district of west London, England, located in the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross.At the time of the 2001 census, Acton, comprising the wards of East Acton, Acton Central, South Acton and Southfield, had a population of 53,689 people...
, the song was followed by the May 2004 double A-side single, "Banquet/Staying Fat
Banquet/Staying Fat
"Banquet"/"Staying Fat" is a double A-side single by Bloc Party. A follow up to "She's Hearing Voices", it was released in May 2004 on Moshi Moshi Records, following the band's support slot for several dates with ex-Blur guitarist Graham Coxon...
", produced by Paul Epworth. The Bloc Party EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
was subsequently released by Moshi Moshi Records
Moshi moshi records
Moshi Moshi Records is a small London-based record label that has released music by bands such as The Rakes, Bloc Party, Hot Chip, Late of the Pier, Hot Club De Paris, Kate Nash, Junkboy, Architecture in Helsinki, Tilly and the Wall, Slow Club, Yeti, and Au Revoir Simone...
in the UK, containing all three previous songs and new material.
After exposés in British magazines and newspapers and a successful performance on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, Bloc Party received a contract offer from Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
. The band members declined the opportunity because they did not want to work for a major record label and instead signed a recording contract with East London independent label Wichita Recordings, chosen because it did not want to stamp its agenda on the conception of records. Frontman and chief writer Okereke wanted Silent Alarm to emphasise the importance of finding pleasure in small mundane things, because "those are the sort of things that can be incredibly touching". The album was borne out of "a nagging youthful urgency" and the realisation that responsibility has to be taken for the first time as a young adult. Before recording started, Okereke attended singing lessons to open up his voice.
Recording
In June 2004, Bloc Party convened at Deltalab Studios in Copenhagen to make Silent Alarm with Paul Epworth. The band had already written demo songs to record, but Okereke has noted that "it is a creative process and you have to let yourself be inspired while you're in the studio as well". The Deltalab set-up posed problems, because it included bare mains cables and dated, malfunctioning equipment from the 1960s and 1970s. Bloc Party took three sessions to get acquainted with Epworth's methodology. The producer has called the recording time a "growing process" because Okereke was not wholly comfortable singing in front of people, especially after tonsilTonsil
Palatine tonsils, occasionally called the faucial tonsils, are the tonsils that can be seen on the left and right sides at the back of the throat....
problems. Although the band members had preliminary ideas about a track's rhythm, they did not know how songs were going to start or end. Okereke often asked Tong to play something on the drums, which inspired him to mould a track by adding guitar chords
Chord (music)
A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...
to the beat.
Bloc Party's priority when recording Silent Alarm was "to give the music more depth, sonically speaking" rather than focus on making a punk funk
Dance-punk
Dance-punk is a music genre that emerged in the late 1970s, and is closely associated with the post-punk and No Wave movements.-Predecessors:...
record. The band believed that 21st-century rock music could only survive if people started "mixing styles that aren't supposed to be together". Okereke has suggested that forward-thinking bands reach a plateau and start to question the boundaries of their medium; this leads to experimentation with elements from other genres. Bloc Party set out to explore the idea of merging different styles in the debut album, rather than in later work. Silent Alarm was crafted to appeal to R&B, electro, and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
fans, on top of the band's core indie rock fanbase. Okereke wanted the album to sound "very rich and full".
Preferring live recording takes for better sound authenticity, Epworth's style separated the band's elements by accentuating the bass and by allowing the guitarists space to improvise. The producer meticulously tuned and retuned the components of the drum kit
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
for a specific sound and used ribbon
Ribbon microphone
A ribbon microphone is a type of dynamic microphone that uses a thin aluminum, duraluminum or nanofilm ribbon placed between the poles of a magnet to generate voltages by electromagnetic induction...
or condenser microphones lined up in an equidistant formation. According to Lissack, the basic idea was to emulate the "optimum audio representation" of songs heard in a club environment by adding guitar lines on top of boosted drum and bass tracks. Epworth advised Bloc Party to shape dynamics
Dynamics (music)
In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic or functional . The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics...
"a bit more subtly". As the sessions progressed, the band members started experimenting with distortion pedals to add to their "chiming, clean guitar sound", although they did not listen to the producer about song structure. In the end, 15 tracks were recorded in 22 days in Copenhagen, while the vocal overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
was subsequently done at London locations. Throughout the studio sessions, Okereke focused closely on the nuances of songs by often amending "microscopics".
Epworth's bass-oriented production was key to creating a universally appealing album and was also used as a musical background to the lyrics. Okereke has explained that the songs were crafted to balance dark lyrics with uplifting melodies. He called the final version of Silent Alarm "technicolour
Technicolour
Technicolour was a rock band from Finland. Their music is pop/rock with influences from U2, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Coldplay, and Bon Jovi. The band also likes music from The Domination Nation, another Finnish band...
" due to its stylistic choices and indicated that Bloc Party achieved the aim of making the songs sound "better and bigger" when they were recorded in the studio. Moakes later pointed out that the band members were relative novices when they entered the recording sessions, and that for the most part they only did what they were advised; this is an additional reason why the album is disjunct and not focused on any particular musical style.
Music
Many of the arrangements on Silent Alarm are strongly percussive. The leading song, "Like Eating Glass", was inspired by a remix of The SmithsThe Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
' "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a song by the British alternative rock group The Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was originally featured on their third album The Queen Is Dead , and was released as a single in 1992, five years after The Smiths split up...
" Okereke heard in 2002. Its drum track was deliberately mixed
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
louder than usual to add emphasis to the album's opening. "Helicopter" has a quick tempo of 171 beats per minute, while "Positive Tension" begins with a solitary bassline
Bassline
A bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
and builds up pace, first with a rhythmic drumming pattern, and then with a guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
towards its conclusion. "Banquet" involves lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
playing in syncopation
Syncopation
In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak but also powerful beats in a meter . These include a stress on a normally unstressed beat or a rest where one would normally be...
, while "Blue Light" has a slower tempo and a crescendo
Dynamics (music)
In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic or functional . The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics...
towards the end. During the studio sessions, the Bloc Party EP version of "She's Hearing Voices" was reworked to include reverberation
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
and stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
separation of the instrumental parts. "This Modern Love" begins minimally with panned
Panning (audio)
Panning is the spread of a sound signal into a new stereo or multi-channel sound field. A typical physical recording console pan control is a knob with a pointer which can be placed from the 8 o'clock dial position fully left to the 4 o'clock position fully right...
vocals before the rhythm section enters the mix and the song intensifies.
The second half of Silent Alarm includes more studio effects. "Pioneers" opens with a series of delayed guitar harmonics
Guitar harmonics
A guitar harmonic is a musical note played by preventing or amplifying vibration of certain overtones of a guitar string. Music using harmonics can contain very high pitch notes difficult or impossible to reach by fretting...
, while "Price of Gas" is driven by a marching-like sound created by Moakes walking in the studio with planks of wood strapped to his feet. "So Here We Are" is the only track on the album to not include vocal overdubbing. The song contains layered audio tracks of guitar and is followed by "Luno", which begins with 32 bars
Bar (music)
In musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
of bass guitar and drums. "Plans" has a slower tempo and uses a synthesiser and effects such as flanging
Flanging
Flanging is an audio effect produced by mixing two identical signals together, with one signal delayed by a small and gradually changing period, usually smaller than 20 milliseconds. This produces a swept comb filter effect: peaks and notches are produced in the resultant frequency spectrum,...
during the chorus. The final track, "Compliments", incorporates an electronic drum kit and the use of reverberation.
Lyrics
Silent Alarm does not contain a solitary lyrical centre and simply observes people's lives. Okereke wanted to leave individual listeners space to make their own conclusions, but has admitted that the record "operates in the realm of cultural politics". Much of the songwriting is inspired by the style of confessional poetry authors like Anne SextonAnne Sexton
Anne Sexton was an American poet, known for her highly personal, confessional verse. She won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1967...
and musicians Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke
Thomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
and Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
. In general, Silent Alarm tries to make clear an existential
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
pointlessness in life. With hindsight, Okereke noted themes of "helplessness and weariness" because of the album's focus on how he was feeling between the ages of 18 and 20. Professor John Sutherland has pointed out literary elements, often similar to Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. Born in Massachusetts, she studied at Smith College and Newnham College, Cambridge before receiving acclaim as a professional poet and writer...
's work, in the lyricist's writing. Discussing the opening track "Like Eating Glass", he explained, "It strikes me that whoever did the lyrics must have read some of her work. It has the same rather jagged, surprising imagery. It could sit fairly comfortably in a poetry anthology." The recurring line "We've got crosses on our eyes" is inspired by cartoon characters who have crosses on their eyes when they die. Okereke tried to convey the feelings in a failing relationship, "of being completely disorientated", using childhood metaphors.
According to Heather Phares of Allmusic, "Pioneers" and "Price of Gas" exemplify the political undercurrent on Silent Alarm, the latter including the explicit chant "War / War / War / War". "Helicopter" focuses in equal measure on America's "red states" and on UK apathy
Apathy
Apathy is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest in or concern about emotional, social, spiritual, philosophical or physical life.They may lack a sense of purpose or meaning in...
and "the people queueing for the McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
by [Okereke's] house". "Positive Tension" concerns boredom and its dangers, focusing on how it "can lead you into dark places", while "Banquet" details "how sex is about power, submission, domination and real rapacious desire". The lyrics in the chorus of "She's Hearing Voices", "Red pill / Blue pill / Milk of amnesia
Propofol
Propofol is a short-acting, intravenously administered hypnotic agent. Its uses include the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia, sedation for mechanically ventilated adults, and procedural sedation. Propofol is also commonly used in veterinary medicine...
", are in reference to the medications a friend of Okereke's took to relieve the symptoms of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
. The lyricist has described the moment in "This Modern Love" when the backing vocals enter the mix before the second chorus as "perfect", because it evokes the idea of "two people on the telephone, who can't touch each other, and as the song and the conversation progress, everything amplifies".
Promotion and release
The Bloc Party EP was distributed in America in September 2004 by Dim Mak RecordsDim Mak Records
Dim Mak Records is a record label founded in 1996 by Steve Aoki and based in Los Angeles, CA. Dim Mak's first release was a 7" by a little known hardcore band from southern California, Stickfigurecarousel.-Roster:Active* Steve Aoki* All Leather...
, while the band performed several gigs at the end of the year in the US and Canada. The release of Silent Alarm was preceded by the marketing of Little Thoughts EP in Japan in December 2004, containing previous UK singles "Little Thoughts/Tulips
Little Thoughts/Tulips
"Little Thoughts"/"Tulips" is a double A-sided single by British band Bloc Party. It peaked at number 38 on the UK Singles Chart....
" and "Helicopter
Helicopter (song)
"Helicopter" is a song by English rock band Bloc Party that was originally released in the UK in 2004 on the Little Thoughts EP, and two years later as a single from their debut album, Silent Alarm it the US. The song was received with much acclaim, reaching number 29 on the UK Singles Chart on its...
" and new material. Bloc Party commenced UK promotional touring in January 2005 by performing during the NME Awards Tour. "Tulips
Tulips (song)
"Tulips" is a cd single by British band Bloc Party. The song was released as a single in the United States on CD and 7" vinyl.The video included with the song features a few clips of Bloc Party live shows.-Track listing:CD single DM076# "Tulips"...
" was released from Little Thoughts EP in the US on 25 January. The first single from Silent Alarm, "So Here We Are/Positive Tension", was released on 31 January and peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, the bands second highest peaking release on the chart (behind 2007's "The Prayer
The Prayer (Bloc Party song)
"The Prayer" is the first single from Bloc Party's second album A Weekend in the City, except in the U.S. where it is the second single as "I Still Remember" was the first song to be released in North America. It was released by Wichita Recordings on 29 January 2007 and is the band's highest...
" which reached number 4). Between 31 January and 4 February, Bloc Party performed after autograph signing sessions in UK HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
stores. The band achieved exposure largely because of word-of-mouth and favourable press reviews.
Silent Alarm was released on 2 and 14 February 2005, in Japan and Europe respectively. Chosen because the album has a sense of disquiet, the name comes from an article in New Scientist
New Scientist
New Scientist is a weekly non-peer-reviewed English-language international science magazine, which since 1996 has also run a website, covering recent developments in science and technology for a general audience. Founded in 1956, it is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of...
about an early detection system for earthquakes in Japan, while the cover art is based on a bare winter landscape by freelance photographer Ness Sherry. Bloc Party followed the album's release with a short European promotional tour in early March 2005. Between 17 March and 9 April, the band undertook a first headlining US tour to coincide with the American release of Silent Alarm through Vice Records on 22 March. The US marketing was geared to establish a long-term fan base among "tastemakers and early-adopter rock enthusiasts", rather than a short-term emphasis on radio play. At the time, Okereke stated, "All I’m concerned about is playing live shows here to people who want to see us."
Commercial
Silent Alarm entered the UK Albums Chart and the Irish Albums ChartIrish Albums Chart
The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically...
at number three, selling 61,737 copies during the first week in the former country. The album achieved gold certification within 24 hours of its European release. 350,000 copies were shipped worldwide by the first week of March 2005; 20,000 were sent to America, double the record labels' January forecast. In the US, the record entered the Billboard 200 at number 114 and the Billboard Top Independent Albums at number seven. With little radio support, it became the best-selling release in Vice's history as a label. 123,000 copies of Silent Alarm were sold in the US by the end of July 2005. The record was listed at number 75 in the end-of-year UK Album Chart and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
after more than 500,000 copies were sold in the UK during 2005. According to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, 280,000 copies of the album were sold in the US by January 2007. More than one million copies have been sold worldwide.
Critical
Media response to Silent Alarm was highly favourable; aggregating website MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reports a normalised
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating of 82% based on 32 critical reviews which indicates "universal acclaim". Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
's Gen Williams described the album as "mature and expansive" and wrote that "the autonomy, creativity and sheer, elastic beauty that spans this debut more than justifies the rapidly accelerating hype". Andrew Romano of Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
similarly noted that it "lives up to the hype". Summing the record up as "dance rock, but highly caffeinated", Barry Walters of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
explained that the tracks are emotive and rhythmic in equal measure, while Nick Southall of Stylus
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
thought that every song is "full of thrilling ideas and inspired moments". Johnny Davis of Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
labelled Silent Alarm "an arty, confident and exhilirating debut", while Joshua Glazer of URB compared Bloc Party to "every legendary band ever who followed an EP with an even better album and on into greatness". The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
s Alexis Petridis
Alexis Petridis
Alexis Petridis is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for UK newspaper The Guardian, as well as a regular and contributor to the magazine GQ.Petridis began his career writing for Varsity whilst a student at the University of Cambridge...
was less receptive and commented that the "reedy vocals and lyrical evocations of suburban ennui ... induce a worrying ennui of their own". Heather Phares of Allmusic stated that the record is not perfect, but praised its "passion and polish".
Romano and Glazer compared Silent Alarm to U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's early work, while Walters claimed that it distills "twenty-five years of spiky British rock, from the Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
to Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
to hot Scots Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
". Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's Nitsuh Adebe noted particular similarities between "Banquet" and Franz Ferdinand's debut single "Take Me Out
Take Me Out (song)
"Take Me Out" is a song by the Scottish band Franz Ferdinand. It was released as the second single from their debut album Franz Ferdinand in the United Kingdom on the 12 January 2004 and in the United State on 9 February, both through Domino Records...
", calling both songs "wonderfully tight and energetic—the same kind of spiffy half-dancing rock". Phares suggested that Bloc Party are more comfortable with lyrical proclamations than their contemporaries Franz Ferdinand or The Futureheads
The Futureheads
The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland. consisting of Ross Millard , Barry Hyde and David "Jaff" Craig...
, while Imran Ahmed of NME concluded, "Silent Alarm is no Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (album)
Franz Ferdinand is the debut album by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, released in early 2004. It entered the United Kingdom album charts at number three in February 2004 and contains three UK top ten singles: "Take Me Out", "This Fire" and "The Dark of the Matinée"...
. In fact, listen to it with the words 'popular' and 'arty' in mind and its spirit is closer to the Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers are a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 1986. They are James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Richey Edwards and Sean Moore. The band are part of the Cardiff music scene, and were at their most prominent during the 1990s...
' The Holy Bible
The Holy Bible (album)
The Holy Bible is the third studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released on 29 August 1994 by Epic Records and was the last of the band's albums released before the disappearance of lyricist and guitarist Richey Edwards , on 1 February 1995.Edwards was...
."
Tours and supporting releases
By the end of April 2005, Silent Alarm had charted in eighteen countries on four continents. Bloc Party toured in Japan with The RakesThe Rakes
The Rakes were an English indie rock band from London. They split up in October 2009.-History:The Rakes formed in 2004. Since coming to fame in 2005, they were associated with the British post-punk/art rock scene, a genre shared by bands such as Bloc Party, Maxïmo Park, and The Futureheads...
at the start of May and completed a headlining tour of the US in June. The band members played their first concerts in Australia in July and spent the whole of August on the European festivals circuit. The remix album Silent Alarm Remixed was released on 29 August 2005 following Bloc Party's headlining slots at the Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
on 26–28 August. The record includes reworked versions of all original tracks by artists such as Ladytron
Ladytron
Ladytron are an English electronic band formed in 1999 in Liverpool, Merseyside. The group consists of Helen Marnie , Mira Aroyo , Daniel Hunt and Reuben Wu .Their sound blends electropop with New Wave and shoegazing elements. Ladytron described their sound as "electronic pop"...
, Death From Above 1979
Death from Above 1979
Death from Above 1979 are a Toronto-based Canadian dance-punk/noise rock duo. Their album, You're a Woman, I'm a Machine, was released in late 2004. The band broke up in 2006, but announced a reunion in 2011.-History:...
, and Nick Zinner
Nick Zinner
Nicholas Joseph Zinner is the guitarist for the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He is known for his "unmistakable" wild hair, skinny physique, and pale appearance...
from Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O, guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are complemented in live performances by second guitarist David Pajo, who joined as a touring...
.
In September 2005, the band members embarked on their second major worldwide tour of the year; they played several gigs in North America between 8 and 24 September. Another headlining UK tour during the whole of October coincided with the release of new single "Two More Years
Two More Years (song)
"Two More Years" is a single by Bloc Party. It charted at number 7 in the UK Singles Chart making it the second of the bands top 10 hits.- Track listing :All lyrics by Kele Okereke...
". Silent Alarm was re-released in the UK on 17 October 2005 with "Little Thoughts" and "Two More Years" as bonus tracks. It contained a bonus DVD, God Bless Bloc Party, which included Bloc Party's two June performances and backstage footage at El Rey Theatre
El Rey Theatre
El Rey Theatre is currently a live music venue in the Miracle Mile area of the Mid-Wilshire region in Los Angeles, California. "El Rey" means "The King" in Spanish....
, Los Angeles. Dan McIntosh of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
stated that the concert documentary shows the band "can consistently pull off its material live", but concluded that it focuses on Bloc Party "much too intently, far too soon".
Accolades
Silent Alarm was shortlisted for the 2005 Mercury Music Prize, but was beaten by Antony and the JohnsonsAntony and the Johnsons
Antony and the Johnsons is a music group presenting the work of Antony Hegarty and his collaborators.-Career:British experimental musician David Tibet of Current 93 heard a demo and offered to release Antony's music through his Durtro label. The debut album, Antony and the Johnsons, was released...
' second album I Am a Bird Now
I Am a Bird Now
I Am a Bird Now is the second album by New York City band Antony and the Johnsons. It won the Mercury Music Prize on September 6, 2005. After winning the prize, the album shot up the UK albums chart from #135 to #16 in one week, the biggest jump in the history of the Mercury Music Prize...
. It was also nominated for the 2005 Shortlist Music Prize
Shortlist Music Prize
The Shortlist Music Prize, stylized as , was an annual music award for the best album released in the United States that had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of nomination...
, but lost to Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...
' fifth album Illinois
Illinois (album)
Illinois is a 2005 concept album by American indie folk songwriter Sufjan Stevens. His fifth studio album, Illinois features songs referencing places, events, and persons related to the U.S. state of Illinois...
. The record was named Album Of The Year for 2005 by NME ahead of Arcade Fire's debut album Funeral
Funeral (album)
Funeral is the debut full-length album by the Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on September 14, 2004 in North America by Merge Records and on February 28, 2005 in Europe by Rough Trade Records...
, by Intro in Germany, and by Rumore in Italy. URB included Silent Alarm in its unnumbered shortlist of the best records of 2005. It figured highly in other end-of-year best album lists: at number two by Hot Press
Hot Press
Hot Press is a fortnightly music and political magazine based in Dublin, Ireland founded in 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it had a circulation of 19,215 during 2007...
and by Stylus, at number four by Drowned in Sound, at number six by Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
, at number seven by Metacritic's chief editor, and at number nine by The Denver Post
The Denver Post
-Ownership:The Post is the flagship newspaper of MediaNews Group Inc., founded in 1983 by William Dean Singleton and Richard Scudder. MediaNews is today one of the nation's largest newspaper chains, publisher of 61 daily newspapers and more than 120 non-daily publications in 13 states. MediaNews...
. Silent Alarm earned Bloc Party several nominations, including Best Alternative Act at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
, Best British Band at the 2006 NME Awards
NME Awards
The NME Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953 as the NME Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
, and Artist Of The Year at the 2006 PLUG Awards. The record itself won Indie Rock Album Of The Year at the 2006 PLUG Awards. It was also nominated as Best Album at the 2006 NME Awards, and as Album Of The Year at the 2006 PLUG Awards.
In 2006, NME placed Silent Alarm at number 55 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever!, while Drowned in Sound ranked it at number three in its list of the editorial staff's 66 favourite albums of 2000–2006. In 2009, Clash
Clash (magazine)
Clash is a popular music and fashion magazine based in the United Kingdom. Its magazine title is published 12 times a year. It has a circulation of around 40,000....
placed the record at number 11 in its list of the 50 Greatest Albums, 2004–2009. The same year, Pitchfork Media ranked it at number 156 in its list of The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s, while NME included it at number 38 in the list of The Top 100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade decided by the publication's staff and music industry members. In 2010, Stylus placed Silent Alarm at number 31 in its list of the Top Albums of the previous decade.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Bloc Party.- Tracks 8 and 9 were mislabelled on album pressings as "The Pioneers" and "Price of Gasoline" respectively. (NOTE: Also track 16 on Japanese edition)
CD hidden track
- "Every Time Is the Last Time" – 3:10 – track 0 (pregapPregapThe pregap on a Red Book audio CD is the portion of the audio track that precedes "index 01" for a given track in the table of contents . The pregap is typically two seconds long and usually, but not always, contains silence...
) on the UK and US editions and after track 13 on the European edition
Vinyl
- There were two UK LP copies of Silent Alarm distributed by V2 RecordsV2 RecordsV2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
: a standard black vinyl copy, and a limited edition picture disc version which has the album cover printed on Side A and the track listing printed on Side B. - The US LP issue was distributed by Dim Mak Records. It comprises two limited edition 12" records which additionally contain a track listing for "Every Time Is the Last Time" on Side A, the appearance of "Little Thoughts" on Side C, and four bonus remix tracks—two of "Positive Tension" and two of "Price of Gas"—on Sides E and F.
DVD
- A CD with an extra DVD was released in the UK and Europe in February 2005 at the same time as the normal CD version. The DVD portion contains live footage of Bloc Party at Heaven nightclub in London.
- A new version of the CD with an extra DVD was released in the UK in October 2005. The DVD, titled God Bless Bloc Party, contains a US tour documentary at El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, live footage of Bloc Party at the 2005 EurockéennesEurockéennesThe Eurockéennes de Belfort is one of France's largest rock music festivals. The Eurockéennes, a play on words involving the words rock and européennes , is a festival based in a nature reserve in Malsaucy near Belfort...
Festival in BelfortBelfortBelfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-...
, France, and nine music videos from the band's career. - God Bless Bloc Party was released as a stand-alone DVD in the US by ViceVice (magazine)VICE is a free magazine and media conglomerate founded in Montreal, Quebec and currently based in New York City.Vice is available in 27 countries...
in January 2006, but did not include the music videos.
Personnel
Those involved in the making of Silent Alarm are:Bloc Party
- Kele Okereke – lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Russell Lissack – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
- Gordon Moakes – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, synthesiser - Matt Tong – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, backing vocals
Production
- Paul Epworth – producer, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
(track 4) - Eliot JamesEliot JamesEliot James is a British music Producer, Songwriter, Musician, Sound Engineer and Mixer, represented by Audio Authority Management.After a studio apprenticeship in Manchester, Eliot relocated to London...
– recording (except tracks 4, 13), programming (except track 4), additional production - Mark "Top" RankinMark RankinMark Rankin was lead vocalist with Scottish rock band Gun, who were best known for their cover of "Word Up!", originally by Cameo. The single was taken from the album Swagger and was released in 1994. Others may recall the singles "Better Days", "Taking On The World" and "Steal Your Fire".-...
– recording (tracks 4, 13) - Joe Hirst – recording assistant
- "Fashion Show" – recording assistant
- Rich CosteyRich CosteyRich Costey is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer who has worked with many bands including Muse, Cave In, Thursday, Franz Ferdinand, Glasvegas, The Mars Volta, Doves, Bloc Party, Ontronik , Jimmy Eat World, My Chemical Romance, Supergrass, Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, Nine...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
Artwork
- Ness Sherry – cover photograph
- Paul Epworth – photography (except Russell, Copenhagen)
- Matt Tong – photography (Russell, Copenhagen)
Chart positions
Album| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
3 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
3 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
114 |
| US Billboard Top Independent Albums | 7 |
| US Billboard Top Heatseekers | 3 |
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
30 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 52 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders Flemish Region The Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system... ) |
14 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Wallonia) |
39 |
| European Albums Chart European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
6 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 18 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
14 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
93 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
23 |
| Netherlands Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
51 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
36 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
20 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
11 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
80 |
Singles
| Song | Peak | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
US Mod. Rock |
US Dance Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes... |
|
| "So Here We Are/Positive Tension" | 5 | — | = |
| "Banquet Banquet (song) "Banquet" is a song from British band Bloc Party's debut album Silent Alarm. Originally released on a double A-side single "Banquet" is a song from British band Bloc Party's debut album Silent Alarm. Originally released on a double A-side single "Banquet" is a song from British band Bloc... " |
13 | 34 | — |
| "Pioneers Pioneers (song) "Pioneers" is a single by Bloc Party from their debut album Silent Alarm. It was released in the United Kingdom by Wichita Recordings on 18 July 2005 and reached number 18 in the UK Singles Chart. Due to an error printing, it was called "The Pioneers" on the album track-listing... " |
18 | — | = |
| "Two More Years Two More Years (song) "Two More Years" is a single by Bloc Party. It charted at number 7 in the UK Singles Chart making it the second of the bands top 10 hits.- Track listing :All lyrics by Kele Okereke... " |
7 | — | = |
| "Helicopter Helicopter (song) "Helicopter" is a song by English rock band Bloc Party that was originally released in the UK in 2004 on the Little Thoughts EP, and two years later as a single from their debut album, Silent Alarm it the US. The song was received with much acclaim, reaching number 29 on the UK Singles Chart on its... " |
X | — | 5 |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
"X" denotes song not released in a particular country.
"=" denotes track not eligible for a particular chart.
External links
- Silent Alarm lyrics at Bloc Party official site
- Silent Alarm critical reviews at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
- End-of-year critics' lists for 2005 at Metacritic