Each day in December, I’ll be reflecting back on a song from the 2000’s. The decade saw the return of post-punk and the popularization of folk music, all while some of music’s biggest acts gained their indie footing. Thankfully, it’s a period that I can look back at fondly without cringing. #31DaysOf2000sSongs
There aren’t many years that were as rich and prolific in terms of music recordings as 2004. That year, we saw key studio releases from Modest Mouse, TV on the Radio, Franz Ferdinand, Keane, Broken Social Scene, The Killers, Interpol, among others. Interpol’s Antics is my favorite album from that year. While the debut record Turn on the Bright Lights may have carried greater significance and helped establish the New York City post-punk revival scene, Antics has always been my go-to. It is Interpol absolutely and resolutely locked in from beginning to end. There’s a confidence in every note — and one of the tracks that led the charge was “C’Mere”.
“C’Mere” might be one of Daniel Kessler’s most versatile guitar showcases from the Interpol catalog. The hooks just keep coming, barely coming up for air as Kessler launches into one post-punk riff after another. Together, Carlos D and Fogarino formed one of the decade’s boldest and brashest rhythm sections. Beats that started, stopped and stuttered their way along, bar after bar. On “C’Mere” they seem to be surfing on a tidal wave. Meanwhile, Paul Banks gave this sinister vocal performance that more than made up for forgettable lyrics. The vocals truly captured the haunting aura of Antics, like a modern day Ian Curtis.
“It's way too late to be this locked inside ourselves. The trouble is that you're in love with someone else.”