Bloc Party Release Latest Single ‘Flirting Again’

If you're waking up from the bliss of a festival weekend or stumbling out of bed from the depths of a stressful midweek, there’s nothing worse than receiving a text from your ex. 

Whether the thought engulfs you with fear or some kind of forbidden delight and excitement, there is something incredibly nerve-racking about resurfacing that which you thought had disappeared. 

Now For the most part, the news that Bloc Party were planning on releasing new music filled me with excitement. Their 2022 album ‘Alpha Games’ yet again displayed their relentless creative spirit, and whilst it’s sound didn’t quite compare to the monumental success of albums ‘A Weekend in the City’ and ‘Silent Alarm', it stood as a valiant attempt to resurface their iconic indie style. Yet,  since then, the band has  inevitably struggled to carve a way forward in a musical landscape wildly different from the one in which they were once incredibly comfortable, and this is no more apparent than with their latest release. Bloc Party’s new indie-disco single ‘Flirting Again’ is the text from your ex, the awkward kisses at the end, all compounded by an understanding that things are really just the same as they have always been.

Despite the band's commendable attempt to flirt with new electronic textures and dancey beats, ‘Flirting Again’ is incredibly reminiscent of the Bloc Party we know and love, with its exuberant melody and innovative structure shining above its fresh new exterior . Although this is undoubtedly a newly refurbished version of the band we know and love, there are numerous nods towards their  infectious, playful style of indie rock that squeeze between  the tracks infectious  hook. Whether it’s lead singer Kele Okekere’s charming  vocal style, or the familiar hiss of drum fills and rhythmic changes, the track is an obvious reshaping  of the things they do so well. ‘Flirting Again’ is Bloc Party attempting to remember how it all works, and although the track doesn't echo the brilliance of their lengthy discography the band's ability to innovate their very own indie mantra is  worthy of considerable merit.

Much like receiving a text from your ex, it's almost impossible to not devote your mind to what Bloc Party could have possibly conjured up with a  new release, and as ‘Flirting Again’ fumbles triumphantly into a new era for the famed indie quartet  there is perhaps further excitment  to be found in their recent live performances. Following the band's performance at Glastonbury, and with thought to their upcoming show at Crystal Palace Park, Bloc Party   are set to re-assert the charming indie wit, and  inventive experimentation  that has never left their  side. 

Ewan Bourne

@doubleyellow__

Image: Emily Marcovecchio