There's no mistaking Kele Okereke's Boxer for a Bloc Party album. The frontman may bring his unmistakable voice and Essex accent to the project, but those are merely hints of his band's influence. After five consecutive years of touring, Bloc Party decided it was time for a break, yet Okereke couldn't sit still.
During his planned sabbatical, he booked himself a recording studio with an engineer. His guitar sat untouched while Okereke tinkered with synthesizers and drum machines -- a process which eventually led to a full solo album, produced by XXXchange of Spankrock.
"Rise" begins gently, light on the beats, before revealing its true colors. With each verse, XXXchange tosses in more electronic elements as the track escalates into electro-rock cacophony. Okereke's vocals aren't lost in the mayhem, though. He keeps up with the pace of the instrumentation, slowly relinquishing control of his voice in the flurry of sound. To an extent, Okereke was able to pursue his interest in electronic music with Bloc Party, but as a solo artist, he and XXXchange have crafted a fearless dance record.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
