Interpol has been soaring on repeat since the success of their 2002 debut, Turn on the Bright Lights, and has secured a monopoly over gloom, sharpness, and iciness. However that style isn't necessarily effortless-or frivolous for that matter. It is instead an important, distinct, and solitary glimpse into the manner one thinks of oneself. Through this, Interpol has succeeded in continuously pleasing their audiences. Interpol's much anticipated second album, Antics, arrives with considerable weight and expectation. The band succeeds with phenomenal substance and body, considering the anxiety. Antics proceeds with continual upbeat, bouncy rhythmic elements that give a thematic kick to their weighty reputation and thematic obsessions. It's a very pronounced and savvy shift that deserves a toast to the band's eminent and perpetuating style.

The most immediate shift in this record is that the rhythm section is more prominent. Compositionally, the songs are much simpler than their earlier album, Turn on the Bright Lights. On Antics, the rhythm and core emotion are much more important. It's more of a pop record, less pretentious, more focused along with distilled song-writing.

More importantly singer Paul Banks' voice has been pulled to the front of the mix, with the premium of the record being placed on the subtlety of his voice. As Interpol fans swoon over their gorgeous idol, the unimpressed will soon recede with the nuances of singer Paul Banks' delivery whereas such may have seemed novel before this record.

The mythology concerning Banks' intensity and obsession over the production of the album lends a lot to its thematic delivery. As Banks has stated, his concerns with the album were simply "sex and fear." Maybe not so simply, Banks' pain and desperation mirror our own insecurities and concerns with the nature of adulthood, relationships, and need for grounding and love. Though we may miss the punctuation, we cannot evade the direness as Banks' questions his potential lover in the bouncy second track, "Evil:" "is this motion ever-lasting or do shadows pass in the night?"

"Not Even Jail," the best song on the album, is the height of this lyrical confrontation and obliquity. However unlike the trendy, nonsensical indie rockers who vomit words with frivolity, Banks has a certain command and urgency that is unavoidable. Rather than lyrical cheap shots at a culture of randomness, Banks' words are a perfect receptacle for our emotions and criticisms. As singers are often the object of affection, adoration, criticism for any band, Banks' wraps are concerns and evades typical rock self-effacement in search of a real sense of purpose. The character he presents to us is one who is continually conscious of presenting in the public sphere as well. Whether it is the premonitions of a public relationship ("Next Exit"), presentation of a public relationship ("Length of Love"), or internal construction of a public relationship ("NARC"), Banks is incredibly anxious and self-conscious to public expectations and his own public image.

The album sits as a whole, consistent in production standards, but marked by few weak tracks. The finale, "A Time to Be So Small" is a disappointing closure to a thoroughly engrossing and intense album. In addition, "Length of Love" and "Slow Hands" while catchy and heavy, are not as contextually challenging for both the band and the listener. Antics is simply a strong collection of songs, without the cohesive, ambitious overarching elements of a more conceptual albums. The album is largely successful but still leaves one in want, especially with the poor closing.

It's easy to get a kick out of Interpol's titles that have nothing to do with the content of their songs directly. However, this is a crucial element to the overall package. Just as the album's title suggests, Antics is an exploration of the nature of adulthood, the frivolity of relationships and desperation for grounding. It's not quite irony, but it's not quite prescriptive. This is where Interpol's message lies-in the reflection of one's situation and purpose.