Interpol – This Mirror Weighs A Ton – Album Review
by Killian Laher

It’s a little bit of a surprise (to your reviewer) that Interpol are still around and making music.  They struggled to match the heights of their first two albums with much of their subsequent output.  This is their eighth album and first since 2022.  It leads with by far the best track, This Mirror Weighs A Ton.  It’s a real departure for the band, a lovely, airy, breezy track.  The brooding, keyboard-led music is not too busy, allowing singer Paul Banks to use his relaxed croon to great effect.  It’s the best thing they’ve done in 20 years!

The rest of the album reverts to Interpol standard fare in the main.  See Out Loud is an attempt to reach for PDA type stuff from their debut album, not bad at all but ultimately, not memorable.  Wings of Fire shows plenty of passion but doesn’t quite land, while Darling Thoughts has more echoes of the past.

The more chilled-out tracks like Iron City and So Rides The Reindeer fare better; they are a bit simpler but suit the band more so than busier tracks.  Ever The Actor tries very hard with precise handclaps but doesn’t really excite; Wounded Soldier plods along, while the knotty, busy Wake Up has a melody that vaguely evokes The Smiths.

They do try a few different styles with the soulful piano ballad Enemy, which has some pretty strings across it, and the final track Sudden.  Full marks to the title track, which is just great, but the rest?  The hardcore fans will devour it, but unfortunately for the rest of us, it doesn’t quite ignite.

This Mirror Weighs A Ton