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Intimacy
Studio album by Bloc Party
Released	21 August 2008
Genre	Indie rock, post-punk revival, alternative dance
Length	47:59
Label	Wichita
Producer	Paul Epworth, Jacknife Lee
Professional reviews
Allmusic link BBC (favourable) link Drowned in Sound (7/10) link Entertainment Weekly (B) link The Guardian link Pitchfork (5.8/10) link Planet Sound (9/10) link Rolling Stone link The Skinny Link Time Off link
Bloc Party chronology
A Weekend in the City (2007) Intimacy (2008) Intimacy Remixed (2009)
Singles from Intimacy
"Mercury" Released: 11 August 2008 "Talons" Released: 20 October 2008 "One Month Off" Released: 26 January 2009

Intimacy is the third studio album by Bloc Party, which was released online on the band's website in MP3 format on 21 August 2008. It was subsequently released in physical form and on the iTunes store on 27 October 2008. It reached number 8 in the UK Album Chart and number 18 in the Billboard 200.

[edit] Lyrics and composition

Frontman Kele Okereke has stated his intention was to make an album that people could listen and dance to at any time. He preferred this because of the way former Bloc Party records invited the listeners to sit down and immerse themselves. The album is influenced by electronic music and club culture. It also features the band members using more diverse instrumentation and while moving away from the traditional guitar band set-up. Intimacy is reportedly based around a breakup that Okereke suffered at the end of 2007. The lyrics are arguably more introverted than Bloc Party's previous effort, A Weekend in the City. For example, "Ares" gets its name from Ares the god of war, while "Better Than Heaven" references Corinthians (15:22): For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. "Ion Square" features lyrics from E. E. Cummings' poem I Carry Your Heart with Me. Musically, it combines the jittery rock of debut album Silent Alarm with the more voluminous soundscapes of A Weekend in the City, as well as bringing in the electronica elements introduced in their 2007 single "Flux". The band has also drawn in a heavily Big Beat-influenced sound in songs like "Ares" and "Mercury".

[edit] Versions and singles

The CD version of the album features bonus tracks, in addition to the digital album. One of the additional songs to be included was "Talons". It was debuted by Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1 on 9 September 2008 and was made available to download from Bloc Party's website immediately after the show for those who had already downloaded the digital album. "Talons" was also released as a single - the second from the album, following "Mercury". The third single was "One Month Off".

[edit] Track listing

1. "Ares" - 3:29
2. "Mercury" - 3:53
3. "Halo" - 3:36
4. "Biko"* - 5:01
5. "Trojan Horse" - 3:32
6. "Signs" - 4:39
7. "One Month Off" - 3:38
8. "Zephyrus" - 4:34
9. "Talons" - 4:42
10. "Better Than Heaven" - 4:21
11. "Ion Square" - 6:33

• The word 'Biko' means 'dear' in Igbo, a language spoken in Nigeria, the homeland of Okereke's parents. As he puts it: "It means 'dear' like when you're beseeching someone to do something."^[1]

Limited Edition CD Bonus Tracks

12. "Letter to My Son" - 4:26
13. "Your Visits Are Getting Shorter" - 4:21

• Includes access to an online exclusive film, Live and Intimate, which contains footage of the band performing several Intimacy tracks plus "Banquet" live in the studio.^[2]

Japan CD Bonus Tracks

14. "Talons (Acoustic)" - 4:32
15. "Signs (Acoustic)" - 3:24

North America CD Bonus Tracks

14. "Flux" - 3:36

U.S. Indie Store Exclusive CD Bonus Tracks

15. "Idea for a Story" - 5:04
16. "Mercury (CSS Remix)" - 4:07
17. "Talons (XXXChange Remix)" - 6:30

iTunes U.S. Store Bonus Tracks

15. "Talons (Acoustic)" - 4:32
16. "Signs (Acoustic)" - 3:24
17. "Talons (Music Video)" - 3:58

iTunes Bonus Tracks

• Limited edition 13-track album plus Live from London EP

1. "Talons (Live from London)" - 4:20
2. "Signs (Live from London)" - 4:38
3. "Trojan Horse (Live from London)" - 3:40
4. "Waiting for the 7.18 (Live from London)" - 4:05
5. "Ares (Live from London)" - 3:15
6. "Ion Square (Live from London)" - 5:41

Digital Download (original)

1. "Ares" - 3:29
2. "Mercury" - 3:53
3. "Halo" - 3:36
4. "Biko" - 5:01
5. "Trojan Horse" - 3:32
6. "Signs" - 4:39
7. "One Month Off" - 3:38
8. "Zephyrus" - 4:34
9. "Better Than Heaven" - 4:21
10. "Ion Square" - 6:33

[edit] Charts

[edit] References