For a band that has spawned so many imitators, it’s a shame that Interpol doesn’t inspire itself far beyond their own emulous template.  “But they haven’t changed all that much since Bright Lights and you liked that one, so what’s wrong with Our Love?” my conscience wonders, wanting to give a good rating to an album that is almost really, really good, but is missing some essential load-bearing elements. Of course, the question answers itself, and beefing up the tone of one-note riffs and swelling dynamics doesn’t make for brilliance. In fact, it is a detraction because while Interpol have never been profoundly melodious, the slow burn of the first two albums was captivating; Our Love doesn’t change form but it isn’t quite as engaging, due to some puerile lyrics (specifically ‘No I in Threesome’) and excessive technical minimalism.

Let’s talk about threesomes.  The subject of <I>menage a trois</I> on David Crosby’s overeager Triad was already quaint and smirkish in 1968, and now Banks makes his own straight-faced claim on track 2, ”There’s No I in Threesome,” that a gangbang would count for something “new.”  Sure, I love a good sex song, but “Threesome” is too lame to offend the prudish, hardly convincing, and reflects a cache of songs that should be effective and even alarming were they not oddly flat. 

To their credit, they didn’t give in to any industry demands, expressed or implied, as they made the leap to major labeldom.  Still present are the same Interpol, replete with ominous soundscapes (dialed up a few notches this time) and worthy lyrical hooks, but is mysteriously bereft of suspense (even as Banks ironically sings “Spare me the suspense!” on “Mammoth”), which speaks to the arrangements that could have used a little more attention at the foundation and less eye-level decoration.

The bright spots are very good indeed.  “Pioneer to the Falls” is a savory, solid opener that’s suggestive that the best Interpol release to date will follow, but … “Threesome” should never have been put in the second slot — it is momentum-killing, B-side fare.  Fortunately, batting third — the slot historically reserved for the best song on the album, I postulate – is “Scale,” followed by ”Heinrich Maneuver.”  These songs do the job of priming the listener for more–a job that, sadly, is co-opted by the following two tracks, which do little better than keep things in neutral.

By the end of the album, it becomes noticeable that maybe one or two tracks could be described as dynamic.  Nearly every cut on the album finds a neutral space and stays there until its time for the next track to change the pace, and too few of them actually do. This is too bad, because the songs are, for the most part, well-written and could have been much more powerful if they hadn’t been so obviously layered with an excess of sonic icing.  Lights and Antics were perfectly noisy, yet commodious enough to give each song room to expand; to engage the listener without having to wait for the next track.  All the pieces were there for Our Love to be masterful, but it ends up big on sound and short on finesse.

Rating: 7/10
Label: Capitol
Release Date: July 10, 2007

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