The Boxer

So, following the trend set by the likes of Brendon Flowers, Slash, Fyfe Dangerfield, Kele Okereke, of Bloc Party stardom, has upped, left, and gone solo. This, on the one hand, is a cause for disappointment, sadness, and even weeping among Bloc Party fans everywhere. Bloc Party are one of those bands who seemed to spring from no-where, coming from the dark depths of musical abyss to our ears. They stormed into consciousness with indie-brit-pop single ‘Banquet’, and have since released three records, maturing and developing their sound between each.

Silent Alarm was a London indie band’s first album, complete with high-gain guitars, impressive and untypical drum patterns and Kele Okereke’s unmistakably distinct vocals. ‘A Weekend in the City’ was a step forward for the East London quartet, as they took produced a record with a tighter production, some topical lyrics and a matured sound. Intimacy, the most recent record, saw the band move again in a new direction, this time towards drum machines, a multitude of studio effects and looped sounds, and a more electro-meets-indie, experimental album. Then came the news that Kele Okereke had done the inevitable, and taken the step that is becoming ever-more predictable: he jumped ship. The ultimate question: Is this good news?

On one hand: no. Bloc Party fans everywhere will separate quickly, on one side: those who love Kele’s debut solo effort, and on the other: those who hate it. The album then, is symbolically a large dollop of Marmite. Occasionally, the tracks are hit and miss, with some drum loops which just seem too annoying to listen to for more than thirty seconds, or an odd use of synth-effects that just doesn’t quite fit, and on some tracks, Kele’s lyrical prowess is lost in the mountains and mountains of studio mixing, synthesizers and window rattling bass.

On the other hand, and overall, the answer is a very definite ‘Yes’. Despite any scepticism, raised eyebrows or mutterings, The Boxer is a tour de force from Kele, with tracks that will make you throw yourself onto a dance floor with more enthusiasm than your dad at a wedding, juxtaposed with a softer, pop-meets-indie-meets-electro kind of thing, complete with Kele’s Bloc Party-esque lyrics; melodically sung, topical and topical. Bloc Party’s appeal not only came from their inventive use of the two guitars they had, and the effects they used, but also the ease with which you could bellow your guts out to the music (‘Are you hoping for a miraaaacle?!’ – Helicopter). You could sing and feel all smart and mysterious whilst belting out the confusingly cryptic lyrics Okereke could only have written on a coffee cup in coffee shops and East London bars, just to be obscure. Kele’s lyrical brilliance continues in his solo work, especially on the slower, calmer tracks such as ‘Unholy Thoughts’ or ‘All the Things I Could Never Say’. These are the tracks where Kele’s talent for song-writing is obvious, as he strings together tracks which combine drum machines, staccato guitars, synth loops and xylophones to create a sort of melodic, electronic, indie, pop.

Some track’s move from this kind of down tempo, melodic indie-dance to complete, unreserved dancefloor anthems, and then those (such as ‘Tenderoni’) which begin by introducing the hook, and leading into fully fledged club, dance, house anthem. These songs are the kind of tunes Kele simply could not have released in his Bloc Party confines. But then, this isn’t Bloc Party. This is something new. This is something completely different. Kele has spent so long drawing attention to his vocals and lyrics, his old band’s indie style and rhythmic brilliance, that at first it seems easy to get lost in solo album ‘The Boxer’.

Despite the initial confusion, which lasts as long as your expectations to hear another Bloc Party record, is a masterpiece of musical engineering. Listening to ‘Intimacy’, it was easy to hear a straining to move away from the typical indie-band-101. Listening to ‘The Boxer’, it is easy to hear that Kele has managed to take this desire and plunge into a new world of synthesizers, drum machines and lots and lots of reverb. The album throws together mellow, electronic indie and complete, head-pounding club anthems to create a brilliant album. Perhaps the term ‘anthems’ sounds a little too enthusiastic, and yet this is exactly what they sound like. The Boxer is an exciting new diversion from one indie rock’s most successful front-men.

The album is definitely food for thought, and tunes from ‘The Boxer’ to ‘Unholy Thoughts’ will leave you wanting to bounce around the dance floor as though someone has set fire to your brand new Lacoste trainers. Kele’s solo project, then, is an interesting mix of his East London roots, his thoughts, outlooks and primarily, musical styles. At times it is a hard hitting, punchy, bouncy, dance-floor mix of loops and beats, and at times a more mellow amalgamation of pop, indie and club-land drum machines and syncopation.

Definitely worth a listen, and definitely a success for Kele. The problem will be a successful follow up. The Boxer was a triumph, but it sounds too much like it might be the only good solo record Kele has in him. A return to Bloc Party should probably be on the cards.

Melodic, electro-indie-pop, and hard-hitting club anthems: The Boxer has them all. Kele has broken free from his Bloc Party confines to produce the inevitable solo album. Juxtaposing cryptic, written-on-a-coffee-cup lyrics with clubland synth hooks and foot-tapping drum loops, the indie front man’s first solo effort is an exploration of styles and musical engineering. It’ll have you dancing like an arsonist set fire to your trainers, and relaxing to the melodic loops with beautifully layered vocals. And yet, it’s nothing special. Another indie star gone solo. An amazing album, but nothing special.