Interpol - This Mirror Weighs A Ton/See Out Loud Review

Words: Tom Gensler

Interpol are NYC’s indie stalwarts. With nearly 30 years under their belt, they’ve been

pushing and pushing their sound to new sonic dimensions with every release. They’ve just

announced their new 12-track full length album, This Mirror Weighs A Ton, with two new

singles, the title track and See Out Loud.

This Mirror Weighs A Ton marks a new direction for Interpol, going for a more expansive,

atmospheric sound, rather than the straight forward guitar-driven indie energy they’re

noted for. It's moody and dark. The song quickly establishes where it's going and sticks to

it, keeping a rather broody, bordering on chilling feel. Frontman Paul Banks’ vocals are

haunting and restrained here, very much leaning into the vibe and tone of the song. It's

definitely a change for Interpol, with a definitely greater focus on the surrounding sounds of

the song, as oppose to just the core elements. This choice of focus greatly works in the

song’s favour. It takes a couple of listens for the sound to settle in as an Interpol song, but

after that it all becomes clear. If this was a standalone single, I’d be shocked at the

sudden change of pace for a whole Interpol album, which would take a while to come to

terms with, but the choice to pair it with See Out Loud is very smart.

See Out Loud is more traditionally Interpol, but with the added atmospheric production

values of This Mirror Weighs A Ton. It's bright and intoxicating and it just feels like Interpol,

just with more; more feel, more atmosphere, more drive. It's a view into the band, and it's

refreshing to hear them with their signature sound in these weird times. See Out Loud is

sweaty venues; crowded house parties; spilling drinks on late night walks from bar to bar;

talking about everything and anything with someone you’ll never see again. It's also

drenched in rich reverb, with Banks’s voice cutting through the resounding noise with a

sharp attack, but now with a bright nuance to it.

The choice to pair the two is clever. One is a new direction and the other is a recognition

and furthering of the band’s current sound. The release swerves into the new territory and

then takes us back to what we know of the band.

Based on this generous two-song release, hopes for the album are high, and the sonic experimentation and further pushing of the band’s sound isn’t done at all. I’m here for it. The signature sound is there and the new element is exciting, which lays the groundwork for what will be an intriguing and diverse release form NYC’s indie stalwarts.