It feels like not enough people talk about Bloc Party’s impact when conversing about bands that rose to prominence in the 2000s indie era. Nevertheless, we’re here to tell you that you should be doing that any chance you get. You can discuss them with friends, family, or even that creepy guy in your apartment building who may or may not keep severed heads in his refrigerator. Just keep reminding them about Bloc Party. Who knows? They may even stop murdering and decapitating people thanks to their newfound human connection they now have in their lives. That’s how powerful Bloc Party music can be. That being said, here’s where all their albums rank from least best to best.
6. Hymns (2016)
Sorry to any “Hymns” truthers out there, but one of these has to rank last. This one is the clear winner of the categorically worst. It’s not the most inferior piece of music you’ve ever heard. It’s just that when you’re listening to it you’re reminded that you could be spending your time with other more satisfying Bloc Party releases that made you fall in love with them in the first place. Life is too short to listen to a band’s sixth-best album.
Play it again: “The Love Within”
Skip it: No comment.
5. Alpha Games (2022)
“Alpha Games” may be their latest full-length album but, perhaps surprisingly, it contains some legitimate classics from the band. All you have to do to identify them is listen to more than the 10 seconds of each track that you did when you first perused this album. How dare you skim a Bloc Party album. Show some damn respect.
Play it again: “In Situ” “Callum Is a Snake” “Traps”
Skip it: You decide.
4. Four (2012)
With Bloc Party’s fourth official release, we see the band evolve yet again, despite some fans’ desire to keep them in a little box that just has the year “2005” written on it. The album still contains energetic and eloquent songs like they always do, but this release also gets heavier at times with songs like “Kettling,” “We Are Not Good People,” and “So He Begins to Lie.” At this point, it’s almost like Bloc Party is showing off how much they can evolve in a single lifetime. Stop making us all feel bad for not changing our ways or trying new things in decades.
Play it again: “Team A” “Octopus” “Day Four”
Skip it: Not applicable.
3. Intimacy (2008)
If we were ranking Bloc Party album covers by horniness, this one would easily win. Unfortunately, we’re judging on musicianship here. With “Intimacy,” Bloc Party seemed to have combined the raw energy of “Silent Alarm” with the technological advances of “A Weekend in the City.” The result is a nice compromise of what Bloc Party fans want (more “Silent Alarm”) and what Bloc Party actually wants (I have no idea. Something with electronics maybe?). Either way, this one is more enjoyable than what some curmudgeons might have you believe.
Play it again: “Mercury” “Letter to My Son” “Ion Square”
Skip it: No need to.
2. A Weekend in the City (2007)
The further you dig into Bloc Party’s discography, the more you realize their B-side game is one of the strongest in music history. And one of the greatest parts about “A Weekend in the City” is the tracks they recorded that didn’t even make the cut. It’s almost like the band has a terrible gauge of which of their songs actually belong on the main album. Finally, we figured out something Bloc Party is bad at and a weakness in their process.
Play it again: “Hunting for Witches” “I Still Remember” “Song for Clay (Disappear Here)”
Skip it: Hold on, still trying to find one to skip.
1. Silent Alarm (2005)
No surprises here. When you think of albums with no skippable tracks, this one is elite. It’s got something for everyone too. If you want to roll down your car windows, blast music, and point directly at oncoming traffic in an aggressive manner, play “Helicopter” and “Luno.” If you want to dance like no one’s watching because you don’t have any friends, put on “Banquet” and “She’s Hearing Voices.” If you want to hear the most beautiful piece of music ever recorded in human history, jump to “So Here We Are” and “This Modern Love.” If you need to perform your little ceremonial rituals where you sacrifice a live goat, queue up “Compliments.” With Bloc Party, everyone wins.
Play it again: Yes
Skip it: No