Circa 2005, Great Britain was exporting a slew of garage rock and post-punk hybrids that managed to be both commercial and creative. It was the height of Franz Ferdinand, the genesis of Arctic Monkeys, the prime of the Futureheads, the one time people took Art Brut seriously. These were exciting bands — bands that blew up online but nonetheless felt like a connection to a bygone era of print magazines, physical record stores, and MTV — and none of them excited me like Bloc Party, whose debut album Silent Alarm turns 10 this weekend.
Disappointment, unrequited love, crashed teenage dreams, life uncertainty, political indifference, apathy, helplessness -- this album covered all aspects of youth that you face with on your ride to adulthood. If you wonder how it felt to be a teenager in 2005, Silent Alarm is the answer you're looking for. So many good memories.
