Review | Interpol Spreads its Wings

For a sunny peak summer night at the Santa Barbara Bowl, the crowd at the Interpol show on Friday dressed decidedly dark. Folks of all ages donned black jeans and old band shirts; the scenester 2004 look that was popular around my high school when I first started digging Interpol was out in full force, matching the New York band’s low key black silhouettes. With more than two decades of rock music making under their belts, the Interpol skipped the dialogue and let the music speak for itself, getting right into a driving and propulsive set. Thanks to frontman Paul Banks’s clear and commanding vocals, and the whole band’s razor sharp sound, no fancy gimmicks, stage decor, or even much stage movement was needed to convey the power behind each song. 

The band played a variety of favorites from their earliest albums and also previewed some new gems from their upcoming release out August 28, This Mirror Weighs a Ton. One highlight from this album was “Wings on Fire,” which showcased their signature precise guitar patterns and intricate drumming, but at the same time felt a bit more expansive than prior releases. For a group that has built a following around their serious and structured sound, these new songs hint that these guys might actually be having fun. 

The crowd was certainly on cloud nine, and I danced along in my seat with equal devotion as the band treated us to hits like “C’mere” from their second studio album Antics, “No I in Threesome” from their third album, and the catchy “All the Rage Back Home,” from their fifth, El Pintor. Perfectly punctuated by spirited drumming and flashing lights, the song felt almost poppy, and I couldn’t help but start banging my bobbed head in agreement.

The hit, “Rest My Chemistry” was in many ways a lesson in chemistry. The song seems to build by holding back, the straightforward melody, meticulous guitar riff, and hypnotic, almost repetitive vocals seem to grow in their urgency, sending us into a joyful trance, everything firing together to create a seductive listening experience. 

One thing that struck me throughout the show was that although I hadn’t listened to the band in recent years, I was immediately pulled back into their distinctive sound like a fly to a juicy plum. In their new track “Wings on Fire,” Banks repeats the refrain in his booming baritone: “Find out who you are.” Interpol as a band seemed to accomplish this mission early on. However, they proved with this spunky set that within that self-knowledge, there’s still plenty of room to spread your wings.