When The Bloc Heads first arrived ‘on the scene’

they were immediate and absolute masters of the type of trojan horse experimental and idiosyncratic pop music that forces me into a trance like state as I rub my nipples and moan orgasmically yet always entirely rhythmically

+32

Unfortunately, they then decided to Tegan and Sara it for a while, rejecting their positions as stand-out shining inquisitive differentiators in their field to try their hand at a genre they never particularly either shone in or brought much new to, and their move to electronica only ensured they’d be lost in the shuffle

-2

Well, maybe

+23

That was the case with their 2^nd album ‘Bloc Party Part the Blocks and Party on the Rocks’ <unlikely- Ed>, and I’ve not actually listened to the two albums they released after that seeing as I thought they were a busted flush. But, for the sake of this review, let’s say those two records were also a bit rubbish, OK?

+13

Yeah?

…

…

…

Good

+8

 

 

‘Hymns’ is a real return to form!!!!!

+38

Unless of course those two albums were actually the best of their career, in which case ‘Hymns’ represents a disappointing step backwards

-3

 

To these ears though, ‘Hymns’ is the seamless marriage of electronica and rock that they’ve previously struggled with, and though the pace falters a little towards the end, it’s a gorgeous justification for their continued existence

+22

 

Metacritic: +55

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa? Significantly lower than their last two albums…

Length: 47 minutes -1

Best Lyric: ‘I tried to make a home outta you/But doors lead to trapdoors/A stairway leads to nothing/Unknown women wander the hallways at night’ +1

Number of AMAZING songs: 1 (+10)

…But Are All the Rest of the Songs Kinda Amazing Anyway? Yes (+60)

Is the last song just the first track but played on Ukulele? No -1

Total 276

https://store.bandmerch.com/blocparty/