Interpol

Not all of Turn on the Bright Lights is stunning, thrilling, wake-the-neighbors-and-make-them-listen brilliant. But this Brooklyn quartet’s batting average is so high that the lesser moments here don’t matter. This set reprises two tracks (“NYC” and “PDA”) from its recent three-song EP and adds nine new ones; standouts include “Obstacle 1,” “Say Hello to the Angels,” propelled by a rhythmic pulse similar to the Doors’ “Touch Me,” and the R.E.M-like “The New.” This is cold-weather tensile guitar rock—too much coffee motivating a melancholy core to get up and move. Singer/guitarist Paul Banks sounds a bit like Velvet Underground’s John Cale crossed with Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, and his interplay with guitarist Daniel Kessler and bassist Carlos D evoke Television and a few choice English bands—Wire, Gang of Four, the Chameleons. Derivative? Perhaps. It’s the band’s debut. Promising? Absolutely.