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There's been a lot of noise in recent days about bands that are trying to revive punk's original spirit, so it's not altogether surprising that some contrarians would inch a bit forward in time -- like this New York quartet, who seem hellbent on recreating the dark, doomy tenor of the post-punk wave that brought ashore bands like Joy Division and Gang of Four back in '79 or so. While sometimes slavishly imitative -- singer Paul Banks does a frighteningly precise channel of the late Ian Curtis on songs such as "Stella Was a Diver and She Was Always Down" -- Interpol are no one-trick pony. On "Obstacle One, " the combination of brittle guitar scratch and repeating rhythm patterns coalesce into a drone that's both alluring and hypnotic; the more fleshed-out "Obstacle Two" adds a few more layers of guitar, but the overall feel is no less eerily claustrophobic. "Say Hello to the Angels, " on the other hand, lurches along with more abandon, imparting a drunken vibe that wouldn't be out of place on a Strokes album. Surprisingly morose as it may be for an album bearing such a title, Turn on the Bright Lights gives darkened tunnels -- and musical tunnel vision -- a good name.



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