Interpol 'El Pintor' - Album Review

When Interpol emerged with their bewitching debut Turn On The Bright Lights in 2002 they were a breath of fresh air. I fondly recall buying a copy in the famous Other Music store in New York. I walked around Manhattan in a happy daze, as its moody brilliance soundtracked my maiden voyage to the banks of the Hudson. 
Twelve years and three albums on, the group’s crown has slipped somewhat. Truth be told, we didn’t necessarily think we’d ever hear a fifth Interpol LP. Singer Paul Banks has released some excellent solo material; talismanic bassist Carlos Dengler’s cheekbones and haircut departed the fold in 2010 (apparently he was fed up playing his instrument).
Here, Banks takes on bass duties, in addition to impressing on lead vocals and guitar. The band produces itself, while studio veteran Alan Moulder, who has worked with all sorts of maestros from My Bloody Valentine to Nine Inch Nails, mixes and delivers a very confident sheen. 
Lead single ‘All The Rage Back Home’ is classic Interpol, starting off almost at a whisper and then exploding into shimmering guitar life. Elsewhere, alas, El Pintor never reaches the lofty heights of the band’s first two records.
Best of the bunch is ‘Breaker 1,’ which would be very much at home amidst the stellar soundscapes of Turn On The Bright Lights. ‘Ancient Ways’ boasts an impressively claustrophobic guitar sound and marks a slight departure from the usual Interpol script.
Generally, however, Interpol have to wrestle with a similar predicament to their early noughties NYC peers The Strokes, who released a debut album so good everything since has seemed anti-climactic.
El Pintor might yet prove to be a grower. Either way, Interpol’s three-night Olympia residency, scheduled for February, is looking like being the hottest ticket of early 2015. I’m sure it’ll be a cracker, as they’ve accumulated a strong catalogue and are a hugely potent live force. Hopefully by then, some of these songs will have truly grabbed a hold of our hearts...