El Pintor [LP] in Bloomington, MN

As the titular anagram of
Interpol
's name suggests,
El Pintor
refocuses and realigns the fundamentals of the band's music. Where their 2010 self-titled album split the difference between back-to-basics post-punk and lavish experiments, on their fifth album -- and first without former bassist
Carlos Dengler
--
Paul Banks
,
Daniel Kessler
, and
Sam Fogarino
hone things even further.
is
's shortest album, and its music is the closest to the ideal form of the band's sound:
Kessler
's guitar swings between prodding, angular lines and dreamy washes;
Fogarino
provides crisp punctuation; and
Banks
' yearning-yet-authoritative baritone gives more form to abstract lyrics such as "There is a slope like an appetite" (
also steps in for
Dengler
, and does an able, if slightly less distinctive, job). Throughout the album, the trio, joined by
Secret Machines
'
Brandon Curtis
, delivers archetypal examples of many of its sounds.
's opening track, "All the Rage Back Home," even combines the band's extremes into one song, pitting dreamy verses against pulse-pounding choruses with results that are catchier than anything on
. Elsewhere, "My Desire" showcases their flair for spring-loaded guitars that build into a skyward rush; "Anywhere" and "Ancient Ways" define their driving rock; and "My Blue Supreme" and "Breaker 1" typify their chilly ballads. That said, the band also leave a little room for experimentation. "Same Town New Story"'s skipping beat nods to
' fondness for hip-hop, while its velvety yet tense guitars and keyboards give it a more mysterious, open-ended feel than many songs here. Later on, "Twice as Hard" makes a brief return to
's orchestral flirtations, incorporating strings and piano into a massive finale to the band's most consistent album since
Antics
. ~ Heather Phares