"Still in shape, my methods refined," sings Paul Banks in "Toni," the opening track and first single from Interpol's seventh album, "The Other Side of Make-Believe." With this album, the band ventures into new territory. While exploring the dark undercurrents of contemporary life, Interpol's new songs are imbued with pastoral longing and newfound grace. Daniel Kessler's sinuous guitar arrangements ascend skyward, Samuel Fogarino pounds with impactful precision into strange realms, while Paul Banks' sonorous voice radiates vulnerability, surprising many longtime fans of the band.
The recordings for "The Other Side of Make-Believe" began in 2020. In early 2021, Interpol reconvened to refine new material in a rented house in the Catskills before completing it later that year in North London. This marked the first time they collaborated with production veteran Flood (Mark Ellis) and reunited with former co-producer Alan Moulder.
While fate may not have entirely aligned the circumstances for the seventh Interpol album, it was serendipitous that the band had successfully concluded their "Marauder" cycle on stage before approximately 30,000 Peruvian fans. When the initial lockdown was imposed, Interpol had no new release to promote or tour to reschedule, sparing them the panic faced by many other musicians. They swiftly entered a productive mindset.
The solitary writing during this geographically dispersed initial phase allowed the members to break free from their respective minds. "We really made the best of this situation," says Fogarino. Kessler concurs, stating, "Working alone was challenging at first, but it opened up a new, vibrant chapter for us." In the Venn diagram of Interpol, each member found a way to expand their individual circles in perfect harmony.
When Banks found himself stuck in Edinburgh for almost nine months, he settled into a chair by the window with a pen, notebook, and an unusually cream-colored bass guitar. "We usually write live, but for the first time, I'm not shouting over a drum kit," he says. "The chemistry between Daniel and me is so good that I could imagine how my voice would complement the scratch demos he emailed me. Then, I could turn down the guys on my laptop, find these colorful melodies, and convey the message in a subtle way." Banks lowering his personal volume control aligns with a time of global unrest and a longing for a new connection. "It's like Mickey Rourke in Barfly, singing to a guest at the end of the table, and we never felt the need to turn that smoky intimacy into something big and loud, not even in rehearsals and recordings. The opposite was really fun for me."
From a group whose early material was influenced by Polish knife fighters and incarcerated serial killers, one might expect Interpol's perspective on the present to be an emotional quagmire—perhaps doubly so considering Flood and Moulder's notable past collaborations with Nine Inch Nails, Curve, Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, and others.
However, Banks felt compelled to steer in a "balancing" direction, extolling the mental resilience and quiet strength of the "easy going." "The nobility of the human spirit is in its ability to recover," he says. "Yes, I could focus on how crappy everything is, but I feel that now is the time when it's necessary to be hopeful and continue to believe in what makes Interpol, Interpol." Kessler agrees, "The process of writing this record and searching for delicate, resonant emotions took me back to my teenage years; it was transformative, almost euphoric. I felt a rare sense of purpose at the end of my fishing rod, and I was compelled to reel it in."
Even though the intro of "Something Changed" is caressed by sparse piano, the cyclical chord progressions in "Passenger" are candid, and Kessler's hymnic guitar waves are heard in "Big Shot City," it doesn't mean that Interpol is solely focusing on calmness. The title of "The Other Side of Make-Believe," its cover, and the frequent lyrical inclination towards fables, smokescreens, and the mutability of truth reflect Banks' disgust with the distortions of the information age. "I feel that the slipperiness of reality and the willingness to become violent due to a factual discrepancy have a very taxing effect on the psyche of all people worldwide. Although I've talked about it so often that it somehow scared my bandmates, so I found a way to express my concerns more through the lens of the non-rational abilities of people and less through the collapse of civilization," he laughs.
On "The Other Side of Make-Believe," a deep interpersonal understanding means that each member respects the other's strengths better than ever before, allowing Interpol's elemental qualities to shine through. Song by song, Kessler designs the architectural blueprint, Banks frames the artworks on the wall, and Fogarino arranges the furniture to have a specific position and intent.
Fogarino emphasizes that Flood's role in this equation was to "elevate all our good qualities. Our band has never exploited rock 'n' roll tropes, no big drum fills or wailing solos, so he found the honest core of our sound and found a way to expand it. There's a saying I love about drumming: 'Rhythm hates melody'—the best drumming either underscores what needs to be conveyed or plows through it." So, what does the spirited, dramatic beat in songs like 'Renegade Hearts' and 'Gran Hotel' mean? The answer comes back with a grin: "I guess Flood gave me room to plow."
The band was impressed by the producer's carefree approach and the ease of recording in his studio in North London. They also seem delighted by how much Flood and Moulder complemented their kinetic energy in their performances, rather than challenging it. "I wouldn't change anything about it," says Kessler. And while he's referring to Flood and Moulder's contributions, this sentiment applies to Interpol's work as a whole.
"The Other Side of Make-Believe" will soon feel as familiar to the public as it does to Paul Banks, Daniel Kessler, and Sam Fogarino. As a paradox, the noir trio has weathered almost seven albums and several lineup changes better than anyone could have predicted, never losing sight of its goals. Even labels like "Alternative" and "Indie" have disappeared from view. Nowadays, they're simply a rock band—one of the most distinctive, consistent, and enduring rock bands of the 21st century. And a quarter-century into their existence, the band is back in full force. Interpol: their methods refined, still in great shape. - Gabriel Szatan"