<>next song •OLDER POST •NEWER POST Oh, the glamorous desperation of Interpol. Lead singer Paul Banks sounds like he's been talking to God until he's nearly hoarse, nervously twisting the phone cord, only to find there's no one on the line. Likewise, Banks' baritone seems to echo in a deserted auditorium, evoking the same kind of Bell Jar-claustrophobia affected by Ian Curtis of Joy Division. His delivery can be heard to fine affect in their most well-known song, "Love Will Tear Us Apart." Curtis and Banks' also share a languor of delivery that tolerates or even demands the occasional flat note. It makes for a doomed charisma. For a more upbeat Interpol song, try "Evil." The baseline is downright jaunty, comparatively speaking, and has some Kim Deal-esque bounce to it. It's easily among my top hundred basslines. —Sarah Torribio
